Losing Grip
by FuckTheReaper
Summary: Sequel to 'Never Let Me Go'. One year on, Tori and Jade are settling into their life as a married couple. Tensions rise when Jade finds out her father and stepmother have escaped from prison. Tori is kidnapped, and Jade and Vanessa race to find her in time. Will Jade and Tori have the happy ending they always wanted, or will Andrew and Claire West destroy everything? Jori.
1. Chapter 1

**Well guys, I'm back! With an all-new story for you. Ladies and gentleman, 'Losing Grip', the sequel to my highest rating (so far) fic 'Never Let Me Go'. This one's gonna go ****_wild_****, I mean, wilder than the last. There's no telling where we're gonna go with this one. I just hope it lives up to your expectations.**

**So, this one is set one year after the infamous Jori wedding we all read about in NLMG, and Jade is...struggling to say the least. Read on and find out exactly what I mean. Hope you enjoy.**

**Special thanks goes out to the one and only Metatron85, for always making me smile. When darkness begins to seep into my mind, you're the light that chases it away :)**

**Here we go, chapter one. Enjoy!**

* * *

"I'm home," Jade muttered, walking through the door. She threw her bag onto the floor and walked to the kitchen, checking the mail that had been left on the table. Tori looked up from her space on the sofa. She'd been catching up on the latest episode of _Celebrities Underwater_, but that was before her wife had walked through the door looking miserable, hours earlier than she was expected to be home. Something was up, and Tori had a feeling she knew what it was.

"_You're _home early," she said, setting the remote down. She stood up and walked over to Jade, looking at her with a serious expression.

"Yeah..." Jade answered, still flicking through the envelopes. She was purposely avoiding the half-latina's eyes. She felt so ashamed. _Why _couldn't she just learn to control herself? Why couldn't she just _move on_?

"Jade," Tori growled, crossing her arms and tapping her foot, "_what happened_?"

Jade looked up at her. Her pale-green eyes were tinged with red. "I was fired."

"Again?" Tori shook her head in disbelief. "How do you keep doing this?"

"It wasn't _my_ fault!" Jade snapped, throwing the letters back onto the table. "It was that asshole Richard!"

"What did he do?" Tori demanded, instantly switching to concerned-wife mode. Fresh tears started to form in the raven-haired woman's eyes as she spoke.

"He...he was trying to touch me," she whispered, hanging her head. "I broke his nose."

"_What?!_" Tori's eyes widened in horror. "Are you _serious_?" Jade's head snapped up.

"You think I'm _lying_?" she shouted. "Why would I lie about something like that?"

"I didn't _say_ you were lying," Tori said quietly, hoping to calm Jade down. "But I wish you were." She paused for a second and then asked, "where does he live?"  
"Tori, you're not going over there," Jade argued.

"Jade, he tried to-"

"I don't care," the raven-haired woman interrupted. "First of all, you're my wife. I'm not letting you put yourself in danger. Second of all, you're a freaking _celebrity_. The second you walk out that door, the paparazzi are gonna be _all_ over you, and how are you gonna look if they snap a shot of you beating up a guy?"

"Who said I was gonna beat him up?" Tori asked defensively. "No one said that." Jade scoffed.

"Then what _were _you gonna do?" she countered. Tori looked sheepish.

"Beat him up?"

Jade sighed and walked past her into the living room. "I'm over this."

"Over what?" Tori demanded, following her. Jade spun around to face her.

"_This_," she hissed, throwing her hands up. "_Me._" She ran a hand through her hair. "I've been _trying_ to find myself a decent job so that I can support us, and every time I start making progress, some _asshole _fucks it up for me." Tori looked at her sympathetically.

"Jade-"

"I _know _you make more than enough to support the both of us," Jade said, holding up a hand, "but that's not the point. I don't _want _to have to rely on you all the time. It's not fair to you. I want to be able to buy _you _nice things, and take _you _out to nice places. It shouldn't have to be you forking out for me all the time, famous or not." A tear slid down her cheek. "We're supposed to be a team, and I keep letting you down."

"Oh Jade..." Tori whispered, pulling the woman into her arms. She felt so bad for her. Ever since they'd gotten married- one year ago- Jade had been desperately seeking work. She didn't even care what it was, she just wanted to be doing _something_. She'd had three jobs before this one, and had been fired from every one of them. The first time had been for arguing with a customer in a record store who'd told her he hated Tori and that he thought her music was awful. Jade didn't approve of people talking trash about her wife and called the guy a heartless, tone-deaf bastard who deserved to get hit by a bus. She'd only been in the job for a week. The second time was for throwing a plate of food against the wall when the chef at some fancy restaurant she didn't even know the name of (despite working there) told her she was going too slow. The third time, she had hit one of her co-workers over the head with a plastic bin at Wanko's for grabbing her boobs. Which was fair enough. Tori probably would've done the same thing if someone had groped her. As for the other two incidents, well...She probably would've had better self-control than Jade. But at least she was _trying_. After everything that had happened with her father, brother, stepmother and whatnot, Tori was surprised that Jade could even _speak _to people she didn't know, let alone _work_ with them. But after what this Richard guy had tried to do to her, Tori wasn't sure _what_ Jade would do.

"Jade, it's okay," Tori soothed, stroking her hair. "You aren't letting me down at all. You've been having a go, and that's all that matters."  
"I've been trying so hard," Jade cried into her shoulder. "I just can't do it anymore."

"Why don't you try something else babe, something you _enjoy _doing?" Tori suggested, pressing her lips to Jade's forehead.

"I don't know what I enjoy," Jade muttered.

"Sure you do," Tori said. "Just think about it. What's the first thing that pops into your head when people ask you what you like doing?"

Jade looked up and met her eyes. "Spending time with my wife." Tori smiled at her.

"Hobbies, babe, what are your hobbies?" she asked. Jade knit her eyebrows together, thinking.

"Well, um...I like writing songs," she answered quietly. Tori's smile grew wider.

"You never told me you write songs," she said, her tone showing genuine interest. Jade looked down at the floor.

"Yeah, well I...I kinda wrote some stuff while I was in the ward..." she whispered. "It was kinda dark."

"Have you written anything since?" Tori pressed. "Like, since we've been together?" Jade remained staring at the floor.

"A couple of songs," she mumbled.

"Show them to me," Tori ordered, squeezing the woman gently. Jade looked up at her in shock.  
"What?" she asked.

"I said show me the songs you've written." Tori gave her a small smile. "I wanna see them."  
"Why?"

"Well for starters you're my wife," Tori answered, "I'm interested in what you do. Second, if I like them- which I _will_- we can do a collaboration. You can help write the songs, I'll sing them. We can be a team." She smiled. "Unless _you _wanna sing them."

Jade shook her head. "No, you can sing," she said quickly. Tori laughed.

"This'll be fun, a wife-wife team making music together," she joked. "And if you become a professional songwriter, you'll be able to write stuff for _all _of the A-listers. You'll be _raking _in the dough." She winked at Jade. "Then you can spoil me all you want."

Jade's eyes widened. A professional songwriter? A chance to make music with her wife? Meeting other celebrities? And most importantly, being able to support the two of them without relying on Tori's royalties all the time. Being able to spoil _her _every once in a while.

Jade stepped away from Tori and headed towards the staircase.

"I'll go get those songs."  
Tori smiled and called after her, "I'll go heat up some pancakes."

As Jade hit the top of the steps and made her way to the bedroom, she felt her heart soar. Things were finally beginning to look up.

* * *

Andrew West lay alone in his cell, doing a sudoku puzzle. It was the same routine every day. He'd wake up, be released for an hour of exercise, and then be locked up again for twenty-three hours, where he'd have to find ways to entertain himself. Most of the time he'd lay staring at the ceiling with his hands down his pants, thinking about his victims. Other times, he'd fill in his sudoku books. Today was a sudoku day. He'd built up quite a collection over the last year and a half, thanks to that bitch daughter of his. If he ever got out of here-

The sound of his door being opened snapped Andrew from his thoughts.

"Come on West," a bulky ginger-haired guard growled, "time for your exercise."

Andrew sighed and closed his book, setting it down. He just wasn't in the mood today. He remained where he was, staring the man down. Finally he spoke.

"Listen, I want out of this hell hole. How do I do it?" His face was serious. The guard laughed at him.

"Unless you've got a cure for my wife's cancer, you ain't going _nowhere_," he taunted, holding up a pair of handcuffs. "Now get over here so I can take you outside."

Andrew didn't move. The guard began to walk towards him, getting annoyed. Damn these non-compliant prisoners.

"I may not have the cure to your wife's cancer," Andrew spoke, "but I can pay for her treatments. Prolong her life a little."

The ginger-haired man froze in his tracks. A chance to spend a few more precious moments with the love of his life?

He lowered the handcuffs.

"I'm listening."

* * *

**Well...There you go, the end of chapter one. What ****_is _****going to happen with Andrew? I'm not even sure yet ;)**

**Please leave your reviews and let me know what you guys think. If you've got any ideas for what I can do with the characters, storyline etc, feel free to share. I'm open to suggestions. Your opinions matter :)**

**Thanks again!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A big THANK YOU to everyone who has reviewed so far. Only one chapter in, and you're already going crazy! Thinking maybe a sequel wasn't such a bad idea ****_after _****all. Sweet.**

**Special shout-out to PowerPlayer2010. You're truly an amazing person, thank you for the heartfelt conversations. Someday we will find a way to play Scrabble via pm ;P**

**Enough talk, let's read.**

* * *

"These are _really _good," Tori said, nodding her head. She was sitting at the kitchen table with Jade, reading over the woman's song lyrics. She pointed to a sheet in front of her. "I especially like _this _one."  
Jade looked at where she was pointing and wrinkled her nose.

"Seriously? That one?" she asked. "I thought that was the _worst _one."

The half-latina smiled at her. "How could you think that's _bad_? It's great. It's so raw and honest."

"It's so cheesy and predictable," Jade countered. "A _monkey _could write better than that."

Tori shook her head at her. "Think what you want Jade, but I like it. In fact, tomorrow when I go to the studio, I'm taking this one with me."

Jade's eyes widened with astonishment. She couldn't be serious could she?

"You...you really think it's that good?" she asked Tori, pulling her eyebrows together. The brunette nodded.

"I wouldn't tell you it was _good _if it was bad," she answered, picking up the sheet of paper.

"Yeah, but you're my wife," Jade argued. "You're _supposed _to tell me that my stuff is good, no matter _how_ shit it is."  
Tori sighed at her. "That's what I'm _expected _to do, but you know me. If I don't like something, I'll say it to your face. I won't lie to you."

Jade smiled. "And that's what I love about you," she said, leaning towards Tori. "You tell it like it is."

She brought their lips together in a tender kiss, holding Tori's face in her hands. She brushed the half-latina's hair away from her face and gave her another soft kiss, this time on her jawline. Tori felt her heart melt under the woman's touch, and asked, "do you know what I love about _you_?"

Jade pulled away slowly, still holding her face. "What?"

"Everything." Tori whispered, making Jade's cheeks turn red. She let her hands fall to her sides.

"Oh Tori," she sighed, "you really _are _the best at making me feel good."

Tori slid a hand up the raven-haired woman's leg and gave her a seductive smile.

"Well then," she purred, "why don't we go and _test _that theory, hmm?"

Jade felt the muscles in her leg tense under the weight of Tori's hand, and her breath catch. She wanted Tori, she really did, but she was nervous. Yes, after all these years, Tori Vega- scratch that, Tori _West- _still made her nervous. It didn't help that that _jerk_ at work had tried touching her in the same area today. Both times had been alarming, but only one held comfort behind it. That didn't mean she wasn't scared all the same though. It was all her stupid _father's_ fault, that asshole had ruined everything. Her _stepmother _had ruined everything. Her own _brother _had ruined everything. Jade would never be able to get close to Tori without the fear of being forced into something she didn't want to do. Jade _knew_ that Tori would never do anything to hurt her in that way, but she just couldn't shake it. It was there, all the time, tormenting her, reminding her of the horrors she'd been put through. They had _all_ damaged her in some way. Claire's was the worst. That _bitch _had torn her apart- figuratively _and_ literally- beyond repair. She remembered the look of horror on Tori's face as she'd entered her, when she had first felt the scars, the first time they'd made love. Jade thought that she'd have to explain them again, but the look in Tori's eyes had told Jade that she knew _exactly _what had happened. Jade's recount of those events had been _more_ than enough to explain. Scissors, a psychopathic-bitch-from-hell, and a vulnerable Jade...Yeah, that was explanation enough.

"Jade?" Tori's gentle voice broke into the woman's thoughts. Jade realised then that she'd been squeezing her wife's hand tightly, and cutting off the woman's circulation.

"Shit," Jade muttered, releasing Tori's hand. "Sorry."

"Jade, what's wrong?" the half-latina asked, sliding her hand away.

"Nothing," Jade answered, wiping her eyes. "I'm fine. I'm just...I'm just tired."

"Jade..." Tori whispered.

"I said I'm fine," Jade snapped, standing up. She turned around and began walking towards the staircase. Fuck those assholes ruining her intimate life with her woman.

"Jade-"

"I don't wanna talk about it!" she shouted, half-running up the stairs. She didn't want to talk about it and that was final. She also didn't want Tori to see her crying. And she almost _certainly _didn't want Tori to know that she was beginning to question her own sanity again.

* * *

"Fuck!" Andrew shouted, slamming his fists against the door of his cell. That bastard had tricked him. How was that even possible? He'd had it all planned out: trick the guard into thinking he'd help out his poor, sick wife, and then last minute, break his neck, steal his clothes, and get the hell out of here. Simple.

_So then why the fuck was he still in here?_

Oh, that's right, that ginger-headed _asshole _had tricked him into thinking he was gonna help him get out of this place. He had known from the start that Andrew's assets and bank accounts had been frozen, he just wanted to get him into more trouble. And now, because he'd been caught out trying to _bribe_ his way out and cause trouble, they were transferring him to an even _more _maximum maximum-security prison. From what he'd heard, Jacob had tried to do the same thing over in _his _cell, and Claire at the prison _she _was being held in.

Andrew lay down on his bed and crossed his arms behind his head. _'What a stupid idea _that _was.'_

Well, at least he'd get to see them on the bus.

* * *

Jade lay on her side of the bed with her arms crossed, glaring at the wall. It was such a stupid wall, what with it being all white, and painted, and _stupid _and-

"Jade?" Tori whispered, knocking softly on the door. "Are you in here?"

Was she in here? Of _course _she was in here. Where the hell else would she be? What kind of stupid question _was _that anyway?

"Jade?" Tori repeated, walking into the bedroom. A low grunt sounded from the raven-haired woman, and she rolled over to face away from Tori. She _really _didn't want to talk. Couldn't Tori take a hint? The brunette walked around to the side Jade was facing and knelt down in front of her.

"Jade, speak to me," she pleaded, "what's wrong?" She placed a hand on the woman's shoulder, holding her in place. Jade groaned.

"I said I don't wanna talk," she growled, meeting Tori's eyes. The message in them was clear: _Back off_. Tori, however, chose to ignore the warning.

"Jadelyn West, you tell me what's wrong now, or you're sleeping on the sofa," she warned. Jade shot daggers at her.

"I'm sorry, _whose _uncle left this apartment to them in his will?" Jade asked sarcastically. "_You _sleep on the sofa."

"Fine," Tori huffed, standing up. She held her hands up in surrender. "If that's how you wanna be, then I'll sleep on the sofa."

She picked up her pillow from the opposite side of the bed and walked towards the door.

"I'm just worried about you," she muttered, closing the door behind her.

When Tori was out of sight, Jade reached into her pillowslip and withdrew a small, metal object.

"So am I," she whispered, staring at the razor blade in her hand. "So am I."

* * *

**OMG! This got wayyyy out of hand. I'm so sorry guys. I swear to God, I didn't mean for that to happen. They just kinda...did their own thing. I promise I'll fix it! Just please don't kill me... **


	3. Chapter 3

**So everyone's freaking out about Jade. Let's fix that then shall we?**

* * *

When Tori got downstairs, she threw her pillow onto the sofa violently and flopped down, burying her face in her hands. Why was Jade acting this way? Had she done something wrong? She had seemed fine earlier, and then suddenly, she just changed. Sure, they both had their mood swings, but this was different. Jade was different. Ever since she'd started looking for work, she had changed. Not when she was _in _a job, but afterwards. Whenever she was fired, she'd come home, get extremely pissed off, argue with Tori, and then storm off to their bedroom, or out the front door. Tori _hated _when Jade left out the front door. The last time she'd walked out, Tori had found her drunk and passed out in the park. _That _did not go down well. Jade suffered an intense hangover _as well_ as a lecture from Tori's mother. It was kind of funny, considering Jade had once done the same thing to her years ago. That was when she'd been fired from Wanko's, her last job. The time before that she went over to visit her mom and Nathan. The first time she'd been fired, she'd come home and sulked in bed for hours. Kinda like she was doing now. Except it had _never_ come to this. Sleeping in seperate beds was a new one for both of them. Tori wasn't afraid to admit that she was scared. Was this what people referred to as a "rocky marriage"? Surely not. Jade was just in a mood. She'd be fine in the morning, right? Right?

Tears fell down the half-latina's face as her mind began to swirl with a million different thoughts. Was Jade doubting their marriage? Did she want a divorce? Was there somebody else?

Tori mentally kicked herself. And then mentally punched herself in the face. And then, just for good measure, she mentally punched herself again. What was she _thinking_? Jade wasn't like that. As bitchy as she could get, as mean as she could be sometimes, Jade would never have an affair with somebody else. Her mind was just working in overdrive. As for the marital doubts...What if Jade _was _doubting their marriage? What would they do? Would they work it out? Or would they fall apart and go back to how they used to be, barely acknowledging each other's existence?

No, Tori decided. No way. They would _not_ fall apart. She wouldn't allow it. She loved Jade, with all of her heart. And she would do whatever it took to keep them standing strong.

Tori sighed and lay down on the sofa, resting her head on the pillow. It just wasn't the same without Jade beside her.

* * *

Jade lay staring at the blade in her hand, feeling her heart rate increase. The urge was strong. So strong, she could almost taste it. The feeling of cool metal being dragged across her skin, drawing blood. That undesirably desirable stinging sensation as her veins were split open. The feeling of relea-

_'What the hell am I doing?'_

Jade shot up in bed, dropping the razor blade on the floor. She began breathing heavily, trying to make the sensation disappear. She would _not _cut herself again, she just _wouldn't_. The only reason that damned razor blade was in her pillowslip anyway was as a comfort item, since she refused to sleep with scissors under her pillow anymore. The scissors used to be her protection at night in case any unwanted visitors showed up. That was before she'd been kidnapped, raped and tortured by her father and his cronies. Now, she couldn't stand the sight of them. So, razor blades. Not that they'd provide much protection but hey, they would do. They could prove useful, if used the right way. And _not_ as a self-harming tool.

Jade's breathing slowed as she sat up and climbed out of bed. Picking the blade up off the floor, Jade walked to the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet, placing the little metal object on the top shelf. There. Now it was out of her reach, at least when she was lying in bed. And if she did feel any sudden urges to pick up a blade and...Well, she had Tori to keep her safe. Tori would protect her. She wouldn't let-

Jade groaned. _Tori_. She'd done it to her again, hadn't she? Jade mentally kicked herself for being such a bitch towards her wife. She really had to stop doing this. She had to stop taking her anger out on Tori whenever she lost a job. It wasn't _her _fault. Jade just had issues with getting _too _close to people. She didn't want anyone to know her pain. It was typical for Jade to be a sarcastic asshole to people and push them away when she felt like they were trying to crack her walls. But _Tori _burst through her walls without warning and made a little home, and Jade just couldn't find it in her to evict the woman. Tori was the only one who understood, at least somewhat. She was the only one Jade could open up to at _all_. Well, there was that one time where she'd opened up to Vanessa and Trina, but that hadn't exactly been her choice. She'd been pushed into it. All of that aside, Tori was the only one she could truly depend on. Tori. Her wife. The woman of her dreams.

And also the one she'd just snapped at because of her own failures. Jade sighed. _Why _did she keep doing this? If she kept it up, Tori would get sick of her. Wait, what if she already _was _sick of her? Jade began to panic. Tori didn't want a _divorce _did she? Oh no. No.

Jade ran a hand through her hair frantically as she tried to decide what to do. Did she go downstairs and apologise to Tori, or did she stay up here out of her sight until she'd fizzled down? Jade didn't know, but one thing was for certain: she didn't want to lose Tori. Tori was her everything. Tori loved her, and she loved Tori. She couldn't let one little mistake tear them apart. No way. She had to make things right.

Jade took a steadying breath, and went downstairs.

* * *

"Tori? Are you still awake?"

Jade walked down the stairs quietly, calling out to her wife in a loud whisper. No answer. The closer to the bottom Jade got, the more she could make out of Tori. She was laying on the sofa with nothing but a pillow underneath her head, no blankets. _What?_

Jade quickly ran back upstairs and pulled a nice fleecy blanket out of the cupboard. That'd keep Tori warm. She went back downstairs and gently placed the blanket over the top of Tori, who was sound asleep. It looked as if she'd been crying before doing so though. Jade reached a hand out and gently stroked the half-latina's face, wondering how on Earth she'd ever thought that it was acceptable to yell at this beautiful woman. Tori began to stir, and Jade pulled her hand back, cursing herself for waking her. Tori rolled over and came face to face with her raven-haired wife.

"Hey," she said quietly, pulling a sad smile.

"Hey," Jade murmured, looking down at the floor. Suddenly things felt awkward.

Jade took a deep breath.

"Listen, Tori, I-" she began.  
"It's fine Jade," Tori whispered, cutting her off. "It's fine. You were under a lot of stress-"

"That doesn't make it okay to yell at you," Jade said, touching the brunette's face. Her voice was so sincere. Tori closed her eyes and rested her cheek in Jade's pale hand.

"Can we just forget this ever happened?" she asked.

Jade smiled at her, even though she couldn't see. "Can you let me apologise first?"

Tori opened her eyes and returned the smile. "Oh, alright then."

Jade took a deep breath, and sought out Tori's hands. "I'm sorry for how I treated you before," she said quietly. "It was selfish and wrong of me to do. I was pissed off and upset, but that didn't give me the right to yell at you. I'm so, _so_ sorry Tori. I love you. Can you forgive me?"

She was giving Tori the puppy-dog eyes, and Tori knew it. Those beautiful pale-green eyes pierced her own with a look so intense she felt her body ignite. Damn, Jade was good. But Tori could see in her eyes that she had meant what she'd said. She leaned forward and kissed Jade.

"Yes I forgive you, you big sook. Now get in here and cuddle me."

Jade pulled a face. "In there?" she asked, pointing to the blanket Tori was lifting.

Tori nodded. "Yes, here. You got a problem with that?"

Jade cleared her throat. "Um, wouldn't you prefer to go back up to bed?"

Tori shook her head. "No, that would involve moving," she answered. "I'd much prefer you right here, right now if you don't mind."

Jade sighed dramatically. "Very well then, if you insist," she teased, climbing under the covers on the sofa with Tori. It was a tight fit, but it was nice. Jade wrapped her arms around Tori's waist and smiled down at her.

"I really _am_ sorry," she murmured, kissing her sweetly. Tori rested her hands on her chest and leaned against her.

"It's okay, I forgive you," she mumbled sleepily. Jade smiled and pressed her lips against the half-latina's head, inhaling the scent of her hair.

"I love you Tori Bear," she whispered, closing her eyes.

"Love you too Jadey."

They lay in perfect silence for several moments, glad that their little spat was over. Then Tori spoke.

"Hey Jade, what are your thoughts on children?"

Jade's eyes flew open.

"_What?!_"

* * *

**Oh come on, you didn't ****_really _****think I'd let Jade hurt herself again now did you? Have some faith in me :p**

**Here comes trouble, the "baby talk" mwahahahaha.**

**Stay tuned ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Alright, let's keep the sweet moments rolling. Or not. You won't know until you read the chapter :p**

**So read on my lovelies! :D**

* * *

"_What?!"_

Jade stared at the brunette with wide eyes. Did Tori _seriously _just ask that?

Tori looked away in embarrassment; kinda hard to do when you're pressed against the back of a sofa. On the plus side, Jade's arms were still around her, so she can't have been _too_ angry with her. No, she looked more like she was in shock. Like a taser had been pressed against her neck or something. Yeah, _that _shocked.

Tori cleared her throat. "I mean…umm…"

"Children?" Jade asked with a confused expression.

"Yeah…" Tori said quietly. She began playing with the edges of the blanket wrapped around them, suddenly feeling stupid.

Jade's mind spun. What exactly had Tori meant when she'd asked her what she thought about children? Was she asking if she _liked _them? Because honestly, Jade didn't know. Sure, she'd done those 'Jade With Tots' videos on The Slap, back when she was dating Beck, but that didn't necessarily mean she liked them. They were loud and obnoxious, and liked to get into everything. Who would want one of _those _living in your ho- wait.

Suddenly it made sense.

"You mean…" She didn't know what to say. How was she supposed to say it?

"Yeah…" Tori repeated.

Jade tried again. "You wanna…"

Tori looked up at her with a serious expression. "Yes Jade."

"Oh."

Well, wasn't _this_ awkward?

Tori looked away again, her cheeks turning red. "I mean, if you wanna…" Oh God this was awkward. So, so awkward.

"Do _you _wanna?" Jade asked, feeling a blush of her own start to form. Tori shifted uncomfortably.

"Only if _you _do."

"I uh…I've never really thought about it," Jade admitted, reaching a hand up to scratch her head. They'd gone _beyond _awkward. Now it was just plain _embarrassing_.

"Oh," Tori whispered, suddenly looking hurt. Ah, damn it. Now Jade felt bad. She didn't want to _upset _Tori. She'd just never had reason to think about something like that.

"Sorry," she muttered. "But I mean, if you _want _to-"

"No, don't worry about it," Tori quickly cut in. "It's fine."

An awkward silence fell over the two women, neither one knowing what to say to the other.

Jade was feeling conflicted. How was this even _happening_? One minute they were snoodling, and the next, Tori starts talking about children. _Children_. She didn't even warn her it was coming. It was just BOOM, in your face, you want kids? Thanks a lot Tori.

When she actually thought about it, Jade realised they weren't so bad after all. Sure, they could be pains in the butt sometimes, and get in your hair- no pun intended- but they were harmless really. Especially the little ones, the newborns. Those tiny little hands, and cute little feet...Dammit, now she was thinking about it. _Really _thinking about it. Was she actually considering the idea? Had Tori gotten in her head that much?

The answer: yes. Yes, that damn bitch had. That gorgeous, adorable, beautiful, sexy- wait, weren't they all basically the same word? Wow, Tori had really thrown her off. She wasn't thinking straight at all. Well _duh_, that's because she was _gay_. The more Jade let her thoughts wander, the more she wanted to smash her head against a wall. Anything to make these idiotic, smart ass thoughts go away. And to help her focus on the more important question at hand: did she want children? Tori clearly did, so there was no point in asking her. Her mind was already made up. No, this was a decision Jade now had to make for herself. Kinda. It _was _a two-sided matter, they both had to want this for something to actually happen. Having children with Tori, _raising _children with Tori. It was a frightening concept, but one Jade knew she had to decide on soon. She wasn't getting any younger, and Tori wasn't going to wait forever for her to make a decision.

_'Think Jade, think,' _Jade asked herself, _'what do _you _want?'_

She looked into the eyes of her soulmate, seeking an answer in those deep brown pools of love and warmth. Her biggest fear was something bad happening to any potential children they might have. That someone like her father would come along and destroy their lives like he had done to her. Of course, _Jade and Tori _would never do something like that, but there were always monsters lurking out there in the big world. You just never knew who was waiting in the shadows. Jade would _never _let anything happen to the ones she loved, but the thought of them being hurt still scared her. It always would. Nothing could change that. But she couldn't let that hold her back forever, could she?

Jade swallowed hard. The next question slipped out of her mouth before she had time to fully consider her words.

"Did you...did you wanna start a family together?"

Tori's eyes widened. So Jade _had _known what she meant. It was the one thing in the world that would make this half-latina happy. Or rather, happier than she already was. Jade made her happy, there was no doubt about that. But the idea of starting a family with her...Little feet running around the house, Jade chasing them around trying to get them with the 'Tickle Bunny Twins.' Watching her read stories to them before tucking them into bed...The thought made Tori's heart swell. Certainly, there would be challenges in them raising children, Tori being a pop star and all. She'd be away from them a lot with touring and such, not to mention the constant media attention they'd be getting as a result of her fame. She knew Jade would handle it well though. Heck, she'd probably wire the place with 24/7 surveillance cameras and sit in front of a computer screen with a shotgun in one hand, coffee in the other, making sure no strangers try to get in to hurt her children while Tori was away. And she wouldn't sleep until Tori returned. Yep, Jade would make a badass mother.

She smiled at Jade, losing herself in the raven-haired woman's beautiful pale-green eyes. It was the biggest decision they would ever have to make in their lives. But Tori had already made up _her_ mind. Now Jade just had to make a decision.

"Yes. I do," she answered, wrapping her arms around Jade's neck. Jade returned the smile and kissed her softly on the lips.

"Me too."

Tori felt the fluttering of many wings in her stomach. Looked like Jade had finally made up her mind too.

* * *

**Special thanks to Metatron85 for helping me out with the dialogue for this one. If it weren't for you, our two favourite girls may have ended up in ****_another _****spat, and we really didn't want that. So everyone, give this guy a pat on the back. The day is saved, for now. By the way, I win ;) **

**Also have to make a BIG thank you to my real-life best friend, NonieBee, for coming up with the last line in this chapter. 'Tori felt butterflies in her stomach' just didn't seem fitting enough in my opinion. Then she came out with ****_that_****, and I was dancing with joy. I even made her some soup as a thank you :D Check out her stories, there's no Victorious stuff, only anime fics, but they're worth the read. Go ahead, you know you want to :p**

**Oh yeah, and thanks to Azentra, for ****_not _****killing me after the last couple of chapter events. I think the readers would be ****_very _****sad if you did that. So thanks :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ok everybody, it's like 4 am here, or thereabouts, and I've been working my ****_butt_**** off to get this next chapter out to you all before I head home tomorrow...or today...whatever. Anyway, this'll be the last update I give you this time around, hopefully I'll be back mid next week to give you more. Your reviews so far have been INCREDIBLE! I can't believe I've gotten so many already. It truly is an honor. You guys are great! :)**

**Super big shout-out to the almighty Metatron85, who helped me with the idea for the prison-related stuff in this chapter (makes more sense if you read it, my words are a little un-sense-makeable at the moment. Forgive me, I'm tired). I love you, you know that right? :) Thanks for everything.**

**Also to PowerPlayer2010, who never ceases to amaze me with our similarities. Plus, she's just a great person to talk to. Scrabble may have failed, but we've certainly made up for that hey? :) Thanks for being a great friend, much love to you too. **

**And to the rest of you super-awesome readers- Thanks for sticking with me. I can't do what I do without you, and I love doing this for you. Wow, what a tongue twister ****_that_**** was :p Special thanks to my new readers/reviewers who have come out of hiding. I appreciate it.**

**I apologise in advance for any typos I may have missed. I promise to fix them as soon as I've slept.**

**Now, onto the story, before I pass out and forget to share it, haha.**

* * *

Andrew stared lazily out of the window as the bus began its journey towards his new "home". Since he was technically sentenced to life behind bars, it seemed a fitting name. Except that prison was anything _but_ homely. It wasn't warm and welcoming, it _certainly_ wasn't safe, and there was no way to tell what was going on in the outside world. There was the occasional newspaper if he was lucky. A TV broadcast if he was _really _lucky. But that had only happened once. The guards had decided _not _to let him watch or read anything that involved innocent young girls. Which was just about everything these days. So, unfortunately, there was no TV for him. _And _he'd been stripped of his newspaper privileges, after they'd witnessed him getting a little _too_ excited about the sporting section for the under-18 cheerleading teams. Honestly, Andrew didn't care _what _they thought. He was into it, and no one could do a thing to change his mind. Most people would've considered that sick. Andrew saw it as fun. And so did his son and wife.

Speaking of son and wife, Claire and Jacob had somehow managed to wind their way onto the same bus as himself. It made sense with Jacob; both father and son were in the same prison. As for Claire though, she was in a different prison, specifically for women. How she had ended up on here Andrew didn't know. When he'd noticed more women taking their seats in the vehicle, he had decided to ask someone why they were on this particular bus. He soon found out that they were all being transferred to the same destination, and so the wardens of both penitentiaries had agreed to put the criminals into one transport vehicle. Saved time _and_ money.

Claire sat two seats up from him, on the right, while Jacob was four in front of him. He figured the guards had done that on purpose, to avoid them putting their mastermind brains together to plot some kind of escape. Not that he needed them to help him figure a way out anyway- he could manage just fine on his own, thank you very much- but it would be nice to have them both with him when he _did_ pull off a successful escape. It would make finding new victims all the more fun. Although, if he _did _get out of that hell hole, he already knew who his first victim would be. Tori Vega. Or was it West now? Andrew was disgusted by the thought of being related to that bitch. _She _was part of the group that had gotten him and the others locked up in the first place. Sure, that other girl with the brown hair had been the one who caught him on the voice recorder, but he could deal with her later. First, he wanted to make Jade suffer. She deserved to be punished. On one hand he wished the girl would just die, but at the same time he didn't. No, he didn't want Jade to die just yet. He had too many things he still wanted to do to her. Things that made his pants suddenly develop a large bulge in them. Oh yes, there were _many _thing he had yet to do to her. But taking out his daughter's wife, that was his main priority right now. He had promised Jade that he would make that brunette bitch suffer the same way she had, and he hadn't been lying. Tori would suffer greatly. And then he would kill her, and Jade along with her. But first things first: he needed to find a way off this bus.

* * *

"So, how many do you think we'll have?"

Jade shook her head and smiled, putting away the vacuum cleaner. It was all they'd been talking about all night. Tori had gotten _that_ excitedabout the idea of having children with her, that she hadn't been able to sleep. Instead, she'd gotten up and started cleaning the entire apartment from top to bottom, while Jade sat and watched her, making smart ass comments. Eventually she _too_ had gotten a little over-excited, and that's when she'd taken the vacuum out. Oh, the _hell_ Tori had given her over _that_. Jade wasn't usually the one who did the housework, so for Tori to see her zooming around the place cleaning the floors...

"Two," Jade answered, walking over to the brunette in the living room. She wrapped her arms around her from behind and rested a chin on her shoulder, closing her eyes. She was finding it difficult to stay awake, thanks to Tori and her excitement. Apparently late nights didn't agree with her anymore.

"Two?" Tori repeated, placing her hands over Jade's.

"Mhmm," Jade hummed, nuzzling her shoulder. "And they'll be the cutest little angels in the world."

"Really?" Tori smiled.

"Yes." Jade's tone was serious. "No one's babies will _ever_ be as cute as ours."

"Are you sure?" Tori challenged, trying not to laugh. She loved tormenting Jade when she was half-asleep. She almost _always _said something adorable.

Jade pulled away from her and turned her around, trying to pull a serious face. "I'm positive. _You're_ gonna be their _mother_, and you're the most beautiful-est woman in the world. So yes, they will be the cutest."

Tori grinned. There it was, the adorable, half-asleep Jade line. Could there _be _anything more heart-warming?

"Hey, don't forget their sexy _other _mother," Tori pointed out, poking Jade in the chest. "_She'll _add to their looks too."

"No _you're_...sexy..." Jade mumbled, falling forwards into the half-latina's arms. Yep, she was spent. Tori half-carried, half-dragged Jade over to the sofa and lay her down, covering her with the blanket they'd snuggled under last night.

"Get some rest sweetie," she whispered, leaning down to kiss the raven-haired woman on the forehead. Jade held her arms out in front of her, reaching for her wife.

"No!" she cried. "Jade want...my Tori." Her lower lip pushed itself forwards and Tori giggled.

"Oh Jade..." she sighed. "You're so adorable sometimes."

"Stay with me," Jade ordered, grabbing hold of Tori's arm. Her eyes held so much intensity, despite her fatigue. Tori smiled and knelt down in front of Jade.

"I wish I could," she said quietly, "but I've gotta go to the studio." Jade's face fell.

"But...but..."

"I know," Tori murmured, touching a hand to the woman's face. "I'm sorry.

"Stay for a little while?" Jade asked as her eyelids grew heavy. "Just _one_ cuddle? To help me sleep?"  
Tori sighed. _How _could she say no to that?

"Alright," she agreed. "_One_ cuddle. Then I really have to go."

"Will you sing to me too?"

Really? Now Jade wanted her to _sing_ to her too? Well, Tori couldn't exactly complain, since she'd been doing it for Jade for almost a year now. It was a new method they'd been trying, to slow down the mind-chatter that Jade always had when she was trying to sleep. It seemed to be working pretty well; Jade was always able to fall asleep pretty easily after Tori sang to her.

Tori let out a breath. "Ok, sure, but then I _really_ have to go."

Jade nodded her head, understanding. "'Kay. You won't have to sing for long anyway, I'm so tired." She yawned as if to emphasise her point.

"Close your eyes honey, it'll make it easier for you to fall asleep," Tori directed, stroking the woman's dark hair. Jade did as she was told and lay her head down on the pillow. Tori smiled. Jade hadn't even fallen asleep yet and she looked adorable. Although, what was new?

"You better not run away before you sing to me," Jade mumbled, barely inaudible.

"I won't," Tori promised. The corners of Jade's mouth turned up slightly.

"Good."

* * *

Andrew was starting to get annoyed. How long did this fucking bus ride _take_? He began tapping his foot on the floor, looking around at the other inmates he was "fortunate" enough to spend this trip with. They all wore similar expressions to his. Claire caught his eye and winked. Jacob turned around in his seat and gave him a small smirk, before being told by one of the guards to turn back around. Andrew smiled to himself. Those guards though they were so high and mighty, bossing his son around. Just wait until he-

Screeching tyres snapped Andrew's attention back to reality.

"What the-"

He could make out the shape of the driver turning the steering wheel frantically, trying to keep them on the road. What had caused him to lose control in the first place? A few startled prisoners shouted cries of panic. Andrew looked out of his window and then down, trying to find the source of the problem. There. A puddle of oil. He looked out of the window opposite him and saw a large truck tipped over, with- no surprise- oil leaking out of it. He began to stand up.

"Everybody, stay in your seats!" they were ordered, by the same guard who had told Jacob off before.

"Why don't you _make _us?" Jacob growled, lunging at the man. He was knocked to the ground pretty quick. The bus swerved again. Soon, the others joined in the brawl, everyone trying to make a break for it. Andrew stood up ever so calmly and walked over to his wife as the bus hit another pool of oil and began sliding again. No words were needed between the two. They both had a pretty good idea of what the other was thinking.

The bus made one final swerve, lost its balance, and went crashing into a nearby tree.

* * *

**Oooooohhh *dramatic music***

**What ****_will _****happen next? You probably already know, but oh well. Stick around anyway, I might surprise you xD**

**Now, to die for a little while. The bed is calling to me :) Later peeps! 3**


	6. Chapter 6

**Finally, it's here. Took me a little while (kinda), but it's here. What happened after the crash? Well, you're about to find out. I know it doesn't touch much on it in this chapter in terms of the crash, but I promise I ****_will _****get into more detail in later ones. I just wanted to get to the crunch, so to speak, in this chapter, so things moved a little bit fast here. Just a little. Sorry. Anyway, let me know what you think. Your reviews really pull me through. And I need some right now. Thanks guys :)**

**HAVE to make another shout-out to Metatron85, because this guy is just incredible. The amount of times I've been helped out by this wonder, is just insane. How on Earth you don't get sick of me I'll never know. Thanks for the late night chats (well, they're late for me anyway), and for always being there. You definitely make up a huge part of my heart, and are one of the many wonderful people in my life who help keep it whole and beating (which is not always easy to do). Love you buddy :)**

**Now, read on...**

* * *

Jade woke up to the sound of her phone's message tone ringing loudly. She groaned and rolled over, landing on the floor with a loud THUD! She swore, forgetting that she'd been sleeping on the sofa and not her bed.

"This message had wanna be worth the pain," she muttered to herself, reaching for her phone on the coffee table. It was from Tori:

_Hope you slept well my beautiful wife. Can't wait to get home and show you just how much I love you. Miss you Jadey xoxo_

A goofy smile crossed the raven-haired woman's face. Okay, that was _definitely_ worth the pain. She could barely feel it. Had she even _really_ fallen off the sofa, or had she imagined it? Jade stood up and sent a quick message back, before returning the phone to the table and walking over to the kitchen. The coffee machine was calling to her. Except they were out of coffee beans. And they never bought the instant crap. Damn. First she fell off the sofa, now there was no coffee. Jade sighed. Today was just _not_ her day. Well, looked like it was orange juice instead. Jade took a glass from the cupboard and walked over to the fridge. She reached for the handle and paused, remembering Tori's message. So _that's _why she'd written an extra sweet text this morning- she was sucking up because she'd drank the last of the coffee. But wait, they'd both been up all night, and neither of them had touched the coffee machine. Tori had left straight after she'd sang Jade to sleep, so she _couldn't _have drank the last of it, could she? Jade sighed once again. She couldn't remember who had last used the coffee machine. Who was supposed to replace the beans? Looked like it was gonna have to be her doing it. Jade looked at the time on the microwave. Okay, maybe she _wouldn't _have to do it. Tori would be home soon, she could always ask _her _to do it. Then again, _celebrity_; everyone would be wanting her autograph. The coffee would never get bought. _Fine_, she would go and get the coffee beans, _after _her orange juice.

Jade poured herself a glass and leaned against the counter, taking a sip. It was too quiet. She reached for the radio and switched it on, hoping for some good-quality pop. Like perhaps a certain brunette who just happened to be married to her? Okay, so she was missing Tori, just a little. Big deal. All married couples did that, right?

Jade groaned when she heard the voice of the news reporter begin to speak. Seriously, could the woman _sound_ any more whiny? Jade found herself tuning out, picking up the odd words like "prison transport bus," "oil spill" and "crash." She thought she heard something about a brawl and gunfire, and someone missing, but she wasn't paying enough attention. She really didn't care.

"_Among those missing are Andrew and Claire West, who were both serving life sentences for crimes involving the kidnapping, rape and torture of three girls, as well as the murder of one of those three. Their son Jacob West, who was also serving a life sentence for involvement in the crimes, was shot dead at the scene. Police say the couple are considered to be extremely dangerous, and that anyone who sees these two should contact the Los Angeles Police Department immediately, and under no circumstances should approach these two."_

The glass shattered in Jade's hand.

"No."

This couldn't be happening. This could _not _be happening. And where was Tori? She should've been home by now. Frantically, Jade ran over to the coffee table in the living room and picked her phone up, hitting the button on the screen for Tori's speed dial. There was no answer. Jade tried again, and again. Where the fuck _was _she?

"Jesus Christ Tori, answer the God damn phone!" Jade screamed, kicking the table over. Andrew had once told her that he would kill Tori if she ever told anyone what had happened to her. He was locked behind bars before anything like that could happen. He was supposed to be locked away forever. Now that he was out...had he found Tori? Jade's heart raced as she thought of all the horrible things he would do to her beloved. And that demon Claire was with him...oh God. Jade's knees went weak as she felt the bile rise in her throat. This just could not be happening. Surely it was a dream. They couldn't have Tori, could they?

"Fuck!" Jade roared, pulling at her hair. She felt a sharp pain in her left hand, but ignored it. She was too busy worrying about Tori. Her dear, sweet Tori, who could very well be in the hands of her father and Claire right now. Jade stormed over to the wall and punched it with her good hand, somehow managing to bruise her knuckles but not put a hole through the plaster. Stupid, white, plastery wall. She circled the loungeroom, trying Tori's phone again. _Still _no answer. Jade was in complete panic attack mode. If Tori didn't answer her phone on the next call, she was going after her.

Jade hit the call button one last time...

...and received no answer, yet again. That was it. Jade went into the kitchen and picked up her keys, stuffing them in her pocket. She was still in the same clothes she'd worn yesterday, but she didn't care. Tori's life could be in danger. Who cared about dirty clothes when you were faced with _that_?

Slipping her phone and wallet into her other pocket, Jade made her way to the front door. She didn't get very far before the door opened, and Tori walked in with an apologetic look on her face.

"Sorry I'm late," she breathed, "I got held up in traffic and then my phone-"

Her words were cut off by the raven-haired woman pulling her into her arms.

"Oh God Tori," Jade whispered, fighting back tears. "I was so scared." Tori patted her on the shoulder gently.

"Uh, babe?" she gasped. "You're...you're cutting off my breathing." Jade buried her face in the brunette's shoulder and began sobbing.

"I was...I thought...Oh God..."

"Jade, please," Tori choked out, "I seriously can't breathe."

Jade released her and took a step back, staring at the floor. Her arms hung loosely at her sides. She looked so helpless. Tori reached out towards her and then froze, noticing the blood dripping from the woman's hand.

"Jade," she asked with a shaking voice, "what happened to your hand?" The raven-haired woman raised her hand slightly, observing the damage.

"I uh...I don't remember," she whispered, watching the crimson liquid fall to the floor. "I remember being annoyed because we were out of coffee, and then I had orange juice instead, and then I was listening to the radio and- oh God!" Jade clutched her hands to her head, doubling over and screaming loudly. Tori was at her side in an instant, holding her upright.

"Jade, what's wrong?" she demanded, helping the woman over to the sofa. Not another breakdown. It just couldn't be another breakdown. Not after so many years of everything being okay. Jade just _couldn't_ fall apart again.

"Baby, speak to me," Tori urged, shaking Jade gently. "I _need _to know what's wrong. Please."

Jade met her eyes with a look of pure horror. "They're back," she whispered. Her whole body shook at the revelation.

'_Please be a bad dream, please be a bad dream.'_

The half-latina pulled her eyebrows together in confusion. "Who's back?" she asked. A tear slid down Jade's cheek, and she swallowed hard.

"Andrew," she choked. "Andrew and Claire are back."

* * *

"What's the plan Andrew?"

The dark-haired man looked across at his wife and partner in crime with an annoyed expression.

"Well, _honey_, we need to find somewhere to _hide_ first," he answered Claire, not hiding his sarcasm. The blonde woman shot a glare at him.

"You think I haven't noticed that?" she hissed, throwing her hands up. Andrew shook his head at her.

"Well _you _were the one who asked the stupid question," he snapped, looking around.

Both husband and wife were hiding behind a fallen down tree, in the Angeles National Forest. They'd been in the same spot for over two hours, waiting for the search squad to leave. They _knew _they were still around; they could hear them off in the distance. The place was _huge _though, so who _knew_ how long they could be waiting here? At least the shouts were getting quieter, that was always a good sign. It meant they were getting further away from Andrew and Claire, rather than closer. Maybe they wouldn't have to wait here much longer after all. Wouldn't _that _be great? It would mean that Andrew could put himself one step closer to getting his revenge on Jade. One step closer to finding Tori and doing horrible things to her, things Andrew _knew _she deserved. He could feel his excitement growing as he thought more and more about it. Tori would suffer immensely, but Jade...Jade would suffer even worse. That feeling of helplessness she would surely get when Tori suddenly disappeared and she had absolutely _no idea_ where her beloved was? Andrew couldn't _wait _for that moment. How _terrified_ she would feel wondering what was happening to the half-latina as he did unspeakable things to her...Andrew could feel the bulge in his pants return. Oh yes, he absolutely could not _wait_ to get a piece of the half-latina. _If _he could get past her security. Being a celebrity, Tori would most definitely be surrounded by bodyguards. He would need to get her alone, somewhere she didn't need people watching over her. Somewhere familiar. That Cat girl was pretty clueless...And if the rumours were true, that boyfriend of hers would be away for a few weeks on tour with his stupid puppet...

"What are you thinking Andrew?" Claire asked, watching her husband's face change expressions.

The dark-haired man looked across at her and gave her the devil's smile. "I think I know where we can hide out." His eyes held a hungry look in them. "And I'm pretty sure we can use the owner as bait."

* * *

**Okay, so I wanted to make this chapter seem a liiiitttle more realistic in terms of my writing, so I actually googled forests in LA to find somewhere I could use for Andrew and Claire's current setting. Angeles National Forest came up, so I'm hoping it's a legit place, haha. Also, the size of it was listed as pretty damn big, so I hope that wasn't a scam either. So to my American readers (which I assume is most of you), I deeply apologise if I got any of those facts wrong. Feel free to tell me off if it was wrong. I can take it.**

**Until next time :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Ok, next chapter. Let's get into some heavy stuff here. It's a lot less heavier than it was in my head, I can tell you that now. Thankfully, my best friend NonieBee (4352183) gave me some ideas for how to make this scene...not so bad. So thanks! Go check out her stuff!**

**Not long now and we'll be getting to the serious stuff. Well, the ****_more _****serious stuff. More serious than now, which is still pretty serious. ANYWAY...**

**Wanna make a shout-out to shadowhunterakira here, who's going through some heavy stuff at the moment. I can't even begin to imagine how hard it must be for you, and yet you still make time to talk to me, ****_and _****post new chapters on your story. For those of you who haven't yet read 'Love Hurts', go and do it. It's such a great story, and this kid deserves the readers :) Love ya akira, keep up the good work :D**

**In other exciting news, my ****_other _****best friend (international), Metatron85 and I are joining forces to create some new material for all of you awesome people to read in the not too distant future. Planning is underway, not sure of exact dates of release yet, but once we've figured out all of the fine details, we'll let you know. In the meantime, make sure you head on over and check out his other work; you won't be disappointed. Great stuff from a great guy.**

**Alright, now onto the story...**

* * *

After Tori had finished calming Jade down- if you could really call it calming down, since she knew the woman was still intensely freaking out on the inside- she took her upstairs to tend to her injured hands. The one she'd punched the wall with only required an icepack on the knuckles. The one she'd crushed a _glass _with however, needed more attention. Jade _refused_ to let her take her to a hospital though, claiming Andrew and Claire could be waiting outside for them, ready to strike at any given moment. Tori had to sit on the edge of the bathtub with a pair of tweezers in one hand, a magnifying glass in the other, and a torch in her mouth, just to make sure she got every last piece of glass out of the raven-haired woman's hand. Because Jade _really _wasn't going to let Tori take her to the hospital. She'd gone from zero to paranoid in _minutes_.

_Now_, she was pacing around the living room scratching at her arms with her nails, her eyes wide with fear. She reminded Tori of Andre's grandmother, only far worse. At least Charlotte remembered who she _was_. Jade looked as if she'd lost sense of reality itself. Charlotte _also_ didn't _scare _Tori. Jade was terrifying. That hollow, empty look in her eyes was more than enough to set alarm bells ringing in Tori's mind. Jade wasn't handling this well at all. Which kinda made sense, since her father and stepmother- and brother, may he rot in hell- ruined her life and had just escaped from prison, and were potentially coming for her and Tori. But Tori sensed that there was more to it. Something else was eating away at the woman's mind, beside the obvious "my psychopathic-kidnapper-rapist-torturer-murderer parents have come back for revenge" scenario. Jade was worrying about something else on top of that and Tori needed to find out what, _before_ insanity took control of her wife completely.

"Jade?" she whispered gently, standing in the middle of the living room. "Baby? What's wrong?" Jade continued her frantic pacing, not even pausing to acknowledge Tori's question. She was completely lost within the dark chambers of her mind. This was bad. This was _really _bad. And she was _still_ scratching herself.

"Jade, please," the half-latina begged, stepping towards Jade. "You're gonna hurt yourself." She took hold of the woman's wrists, trying to stop her from tearing holes through her arms. Bad idea.

"No!" Jade screamed. In a simultaneous motion, she pulled her slightly less injured hand free from Tori's grasp and then swung at her. Tori's head snapped to the side as Jade's open palm connected with the side of her face. Both women's eyes widened in shock. Jade pulled her other hand free and took a step back, unable to believe what she'd just done. Had she really just hit Tori?

"T-Tori, I-I-"

"Jade..." Tori whispered, stepping towards her once more. Jade swung out again, only this time her attempt was a lot weaker. And also not aimed at Tori's face. Her hand brushed against the brunette's chest, in a weak attempt to ward her off. When Tori kept moving closer towards her, she stepped back, swiping at her again, and again, and again, now incorporating both hands.

"Jade," Tori half-growled, trying to grab hold of her wife's hands.

"Leave me alone!" Jade cried, still trying to ward Tori off. If the situation weren't so serious, it would've looked like the two women were having a slap fight. And Tori would be winning.

"Please, just leave me alone," Jade begged as Tori reached her. She wrapped her arms around the hysterical raven-haired woman and pulled her as close to her body as she could, trying to stop her from swinging her arms and hurting herself more. Jade slapped at her chest weakly, making one last effort to push her away. It was no use. Tori was stronger than her. Tears fell down her face and she sank into her lover's arms, shaking uncontrollably. Her hands gripped Tori's shirt tightly as she struggled to hold herself upright.

"I'm so sorry," she spoke through tears. Her voice shook. "I'm so, so sorry."

Tori held Jade close and felt tears of her own begin to fall. She was so scared for Jade. The love of her life was, in every sense of the term, _losing it_. All because of those goddamned assholes who had put her through hell almost nine years ago. Most people would've thought that someone would be over it by now, but not Tori. She knew better. Jade had kept it all held in for five years, running from Andrew and the other two in fear of being found and made to suffer the same excruciating nightmare again. And to protect the others from the exact same fate. Or worse. She'd had herself committed to a _psychiatric ward_, not because she wanted help- which she really needed- but to hide away from the three monsters who wanted to use her body for their own twisted pleasures. In all reality, Jade had only truly been dealing with it for three and a half years, _after_ she'd come back to Los Angeles. She'd been gone for five years and nobody knew why. Everybody wanted answers that Jade couldn't give. When she finally _did_ give an explanation, _no one _had been prepared for what she would reveal. Tori would never forget the day Jade had told her what they had done to her. It had been the single most sickening thing she'd ever heard in her life. The things those bastards had done to her...Thank God they'd been locked up. Thank God Vanessa had thought to bring a voice recorder that day. Things started to look up. She and Jade got married; Tori got signed to a record label and reached international success. They moved into Jade's apartment together. Her mother stopped drinking. Trina and _Andre _got married. Life was good. At least to those on the outside looking in. Underneath it all, they were still battling their demons. Especially Jade. She was still _far_ from okay. There were plenty of nights where she woke up screaming, thinking Claire was hovering over her with a pair of scissors, smiling at her. There were even a few times where she'd pushed Tori out of the bed thinking she was _Jacob_ trying to hold a knife to her throat; _or_ she would wake up clutching her throat, unable to breathe because she thought Andrew was trying to choke her. She'd tried sleeping pills, but they didn't do anything to help. She'd even tried staying up multiple nights in a row, trying to exhaust herself to the point where she'd simply pass out and not dream at all. _That _didn't work either. That just made the nightmares more intense, and a lot more frightening for Tori, because Jade didn't always wake up instantly on those nights. Because she was so tired, her body would try to keep her unconscious, even though the rest of her was screaming for her to wake up and end the horrors. And then of course there was the unintentional self-harming. So many times Tori had woken up and found Jade bleeding because she'd been scratching at herself in her sleep, trying to make the nightmares end. It was horrible. Why did Jade have to suffer so badly? What had she ever done to deserve this fate? Sure, she'd been a little bit mean to people at school, but hardly enough for someone to suddenly decide, "oh, the rest of your life is gonna be _hell_ because of your actions". _No one _deserved that. Tori wouldn't even wish that upon her worst _enemy_. Although, now that she thought about it, Andrew and Claire deserved every single bad thing that happened to them. Jacob got off easily. A bullet in the chest wasn't punishment enough. He should've suffered a million painful deaths, but no. He got to die early. The bad guys _always _got off easily. A _life sentence _in _prison _wasn't even enough in Tori's opinion. They needed to suffer. They _deserved _to suffer. If she ever ran into them, the things she would do to make them pay...

She focused her attention back on Jade, stroking her hair gently.

"It's okay baby," she whispered, holding the raven-haired woman close. "We're okay. It's okay. I promise." Jade buried her face deeper into Tori's chest. Tori could feel her shirt getting wetter and wetter, and then realised she didn't care. Jade was upset, and she needed her wife. What was a wet shirt in comparison to that?

"I didn't- I didn't mean to-" Jade whimpered, shaking her head furiously. She was feeling guilt over hitting Tori. Tori had forgiven her almost immediately. She knew Jade wasn't trying to hurt her. She had been acting out of fear and defence. She was terrified over the fact that her abusers were free again. She wasn't thinking straight. Under normal circumstances, she would never have hit Tori. And Tori knew that. She knew Jade would never do anything to hurt her, not intentionally. Just as _she _would never hurt _Jade_. _Had _she hurt Jade? She hoped she hadn't bruised her or anything when she grabbed her wrists before. She'd have to check later, just to be sure. For now, her Jadelyn needed comforting.

"I know sweetheart," she soothed, rubbing a hand up and down the raven-haired woman's back. "I know."

* * *

"So wait, can you tell me the plan _one more_ time?"

Andrew sighed. Had prison turned his wife into a dumb shit or what?

"The _plan_," he repeated, "is to lure Tori over to the Valentine girl's house, and then take her hostage." The blonde-haired woman nodded, deep in thought.

"And we lure Tori over via text message, right?" she asked. Andrew shot her a look that said "you should already know that."

"_Yes_," he groaned, growing more and more irritated by the second. Seriously, what happened to explaining it _once_? Jacob would never have-

_Ah_, Jacob.

Andrew felt a small knot of sadness in his chest, as he remembered his fallen son, and favourite child. He didn't care what anyone else said, the boy had died defending them. Before he'd been shot, he'd managed to steal a set of keys from one of the prison guards and unlock both Andrew and Claire's handcuffs, allowing them full use of their hands. Useful to say the least. Except instead of running away _with_ them, he had shouted at both of them to get the hell out of there while he helped the others hold the guards back. Then he'd been shot. Andrew sighed to himself. Why did the good ones always die first? Well, at least he still had Jade, he figured. Not for any father-daughter bonding or anything, but simply just so that he could fuck with her head. Although, the thought of Jade in _bondage_...Andrew shook the image from his head. He had to stay focused. He could worry about sexually explicit activities with Jade later. He'd have all the time in the _world_ later. For now, he had a big task ahead of him. And it involved getting himself into the house that belonged to his daughter's best friend.

* * *

"You feeling any better sweetie?" Tori asked, brushing loose strands of dark hair from Jade's porcelain face. The raven-haired woman opened her eyes and gave a weak smile.

"Fine," she answered, letting out a small sigh. Tori eyed her curiously.

"Are you sure?" she questioned, pulling the covers higher up over them. It was looking to be a chilly night. Pity they didn't have an electric blanket. Jade got really cold, really easily. Even _with_ Tori's arms wrapped tightly around her. Extra blankets, not very effective either. They _really _needed to invest in an electric blanket, before Jade_froze_ to death. Alternatively, she could always wear one of Tori's hoodies. They were always pretty warm. Not to mention they'd smell like her. Jade would just _love _that. Though if Tori knew her wife well enough, she was pretty sure Jade would prefer cuddles over clothing any day. And that she would make some kind of sex joke out of that statement. Though in her current mood, maybe not.

Jade shook her head and sighed again. "No," she mumbled, wiping her eyes. Damn those tears. If any more of them decided to sneak out, she would...she would...

Tori had her in her arms in an instant. "Shh...It's okay," she whispered, planting a kiss on Jade's forehead. "Just let it out. I won't let you go."

"I hit you Tori," Jade spoke softly, trying to pull away. Tori's arms wouldn't budge. She knew what Jade was trying to do, and she wasn't going to let her do it.

"You were scared Jade," she argued, pulling the raven-haired woman back towards her. "And stop trying to get away from me because you feel bad about it."

"I fucking _hit_ you!" Jade put her hands on Tori's chest and pushed, trying desperately to break free of the brunette's arms. "You aren't the least bit _scared_ of me?"

"Technically, you slapped me," Tori pointed out, using a hand to push on the insides of Jade's elbows, forcing them to bend so that she was face-to-face with her again. "And no, I'm not scared of you. But I am scared _for _you." Jade looked up at her through her hair which had fallen over her face.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Tori pushed the hair from her wife's face.

"I mean, you're _not _dealing with this well at all, and it scares me," she said quietly. "Every nightmare you have, every time you have a breakdown, it scares me, because I think that I'm gonna lose you. When I wake up at night and find you bleeding, I just want to scream. I feel as if you're slipping away more and more each day Jade, and it really, truly scares me." She wiped a tear from her eye and continued. "Now we find out that your father and that _bitch_ are out...and the way you reacted...I'm absolutely terrified. I don't want to lose you Jade. I love you _too _much to lose you."

Jade's eyes filled with tears at Tori's words.

"Tori I...I'm so sorry," she whispered, dropping her gaze. "I'm such a mess. You deserve better than me."

"Jadelyn Elizabeth West," Tori scolded, "don't you _ever _say that again. You hear me?" She slipped a hand under Jade's chin and tipped her face up so that she was looking her square in the eyes. "I don't care how messed up you may be, you're my wife, and I will always stand by your side. I made a promise to you, and I plan on keeping it. Or do I need to take out my vows and read them to you again?"

"You're gonna read them to me anyway, aren't you?" Jade mumbled, feeling her cheeks turn red. The half-latina nodded.

"Of course I am," she answered, rolling over to face the beside table. She opened the top drawer and took out a neatly folded sheet of pale purple paper. She looked over her shoulder at Jade and smiled. Jade smiled back at her, remembering the first time Tori had read those vows to her. It was the first night of their three-day honeymoon, before she'd spilled the hot soup all over herself and made Tori spend the night with her in the ER for burn treatment. What a way to spend the first night of their honeymoon. Although, opposed to the rest of what happened to them over those three nights, a soup burn was nothing. All Jade could say was, _thank God_ Tori had read those vows to her _before _all of the other chaos had happened. Jade could've ended up alone _very_ quickly. Luckily for her, Tori had very clearly stated that she would never leave her side, no matter what happened in their lives, so she was okay.

Rolling back over to face the dark-haired woman, Tori unfolded the paper and began to read.

"I, Victoria Kate Vega, promise to stand by your side for all of time. I promise to hold your hand through all of the good times, and carry you through the bad ones. If it's even _possible_ for me to love you more, then I swear to you I will. I'll be the light that guides you home, the sunshine on your rainy days. I'll love you forever-"

"Because that's what you do when you find the one," Jade finished for her. She had this memorised. Tori had read it to her at _least _a hundred times.

"Will you shut up and let me finish?" Tori asked, trying not to laugh.

"If you must," Jade said, sighing dramatically. She moved closer to the brunette and snuggled into her, wrapping her arms around her waist. Tori smiled and shook her head.

"I'll read the rest of this _later_ then shall I?" she chuckled, setting the page down on top of the bedside table. She put her arms around Jade's shoulders and pressed her lips to her dark hair, smiling. "I love you Jade, you know that right?"

Jade buried her face in the half-latina's shoulder, trying to hide her blush. How the hell did Tori _do _that?

"Do you really?" she challenged. She already knew the answer, but she just wanted to hear Tori confirm it. Tori pulled back from her and met her eyes.

"Yes Jade, I really do love you," she whispered.

"Sometimes I wonder _how_," Jade muttered, lowering her gaze. "I'm such a fucking basket case." Tori released her hold on Jade and cupped the woman's face with her hands.

"You may be a basket case babe," she murmured, bringing their faces together for a kiss, "but as long as you're married to me, you're _my_ basket case."

* * *

**There you go, not so bad. Well, actually, it's pretty bad...But at least we ended it on a (slightly) happy note.**

**Stay tuned for the next update, which, hopefully, comes along before I have to depart once more :D Still got another couple of days or so. Love y'all!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Righto, let's do this. Next chapter, go!**

**Metatron85- Thank you. You know what for. Once again you came running to my rescue when I needed saving. Words can't express just how thankful I am. You're the best.**

**See you all next time, this is my last update this time around. Keep them reviews coming!**

* * *

Andrew breathed a sigh of relief as he and Claire approached the front porch of the Valentine/Shapiro household. They'd made it. They had _actually _made it. Andrew looked over at his wife, who was smiling at him proudly. They'd been walking for hours; all night in fact. They had no idea exactly _how_ long they'd been walking, but it had been light when they'd started, and it was now just starting to break dawn. However long it had been, it had been long enough. Andrew hoped their efforts weren't in vain; was Cat even _home_? More the point, would she be awake at this hour? They were putting themselves at enough risk already being out in the (almost) daylight. If she wasn't awake yet- or even worse, not home- they were screwed. Someone would be sure to spot them. They had one chance, and one chance alone. Andrew prayed luck was on their side as he climbed up the stairs and knocked on the girl's door. He tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for someone to answer. A few silent moments passed before Andrew heard footsteps, and then a door bolt slide. He let out a breath. Thank God. Obviously _someone _up there was listening. Must've been Jacob. _'__Thanks, son.'_

The door handle turned, opened, and then the two Wests stood face-to-face with Caterina Valentine. The red-headed girl rubbed her eyes sleepily and looked around.

"What's going on?" she mumbled in her sing-song voice, looking between the two figures before her. "What do you-" Recognition shone in her eyes. "Oh my G-"

Her screams were cut short by a heavy blow to the side of her head. Stars danced before her eyes. The last things she saw were the menacing, smiling faces of Andrew and Claire West, before she blacked out completely.

* * *

"Good morning sweetheart," Tori smiled as Jade opened her eyes.

"You know I still get butterflies in my stomach whenever you call me that?" Jade murmured groggily, feeling her cheeks burn. The half-latina giggled.

"_Butterflies_?" she teased. Jade shook her head and squeezed her eyelids shut, trying to ignore the searing pain that had suddenly flashed through her hand. Tori's smile turned into a worried frown.

"Are you okay?" she asked, touching the woman's cheek. Jade nodded, even though her face held a pained expression.

"I'm fine," she muttered, making herself comfortable again. "Just come back here and give me cuddles." She put her arms around the brunette and rested her ear against her chest, listening to the woman's heartbeat. It was one of her most favourite sounds in the world. Alongside Tori's singing, Tori's voice, Tori's laugh, Tori's-

"Babe, I've gotta go to work," Tori whispered. Okay, _that_ was not one of her favourite Tori sounds. And why did she _always _have to go? Couldn't she take a day off for once?

"No," Jade pouted, pulling Tori towards her. "You're not leaving."

"But Jade," Tori argued, "I'm recording my new record. I _have _to go." Jade pulled away from her and rolled onto her other side, with her back facing the half-latina.

"Fine," she muttered, crossing her arms. "I'll just wait here until you get back." Tori sighed.

"Jade, please don't get mad," she spoke sadly, touching the woman's shoulder. "You know I'd stay here with you if I could."

"It's just unfair," Jade sulked, staring at the wall. "They always want you at the studio, I always want you _here_. And you always pick them." A tear slid down her cheek, unbeknownst to Tori.

"Jade..." Tori breathed. She leaned forwards and kissed Jade on the side of her neck. "I would _never _pick them over you. I just have to do as they say, or I won't get my music out there." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "If I don't get my music out there, then I don't make any money, and then we run out of coffee, like we did yesterday." _'__Come on Jade, laugh, please. Do _something_.'_

Jade sniffed, not finding Tori's attempts at humour amusing. "I'm serious Tori."

"I was trying to lighten the mood," Tori snapped, climbing out of the bed. "Not _my _fault you can't take a joke." Jade rolled over and sat up.

"_Excuse _me?" she asked, glaring. "I can take a joke just fine. But right now, my father and stepmother-from-hell have escaped prison, my nightmares are getting even worse, my thoughts are turning back to a place _I _don't wanna be in, and now, Ihave to reconsider my thoughts on whether or not I want us bringing a _baby_ into this world. Forgive me for being a little bit upset that I can't just spend a day in bed with my wife."

Her voice shook with every word she spoke, and there was no stoping the tears that fell down her face. Tori felt her heart break.

'_Shit.'_ Jade had just confirmed all of her worst fears. She was sinking, deeper than Tori had originally thought. This was bad. This was really, really bad. But what was this about reconsidering her thoughts about them having a baby? Where had _that_ come from?

"You don't want kids now?" she whispered in disbelief. "I thought you were excited about starting a family."

"I _was_," Jade answered, pulling her knees up to her chin. She was trying not to snap at Tori. "But that was before I found out that my cunt of a father and his fucking _whore_ of a wife had gotten out. The second they knew that we had a kid, they'd come after it. And God knows what they would do to the poor thing."

"We wouldn't let them anywhere _near _them" Tori said, trying to reassure the raven-haired woman. "That's what I've got my security for, if I need it." Jade shook her head.

"I'm not risking it. They're ruthless bastards. They'd find a way." She gave Tori a look of complete sadness. "I'm sorry Tori. But as long as those assholes are running loose, we can't start a family. It's bad enough seeing _you_ walk out the door and worrying about whether you're gonna make it home. It'd be even _worse _with our children. And it's not just Andrew and Claire we'd have to worry about. There are _so many _sick bastards out there who could hurt them. I can't do it. I can't put more lives at risk. Especially not innocent, defenceless little children. _Our _children."

Tori was taken aback. Jade had really thought about this. She'd probably been dwelling on it all night. But wait, did that mean they would _never _have children now, or would it just be until Andrew and Claire were locked up again? The way Jade had spoken, it had sounded like never, like they would have to lock up every single monster in the world before she would even _consider_ starting a family with Tori. Tori knew though that something like that would be impossible. So did that mean that her and Jade starting a family was an impossibility too? Tori certainly hoped not, but...She just didn't know.

"Tori? I'm sorry," Jade murmured, reaching a hand out towards the half-latina. She let her hand drop. "I want to start a family with you, I really do, but...But those two scare the absolute _fuck _out of me. If they were gone, then yeah, we could start making plans. I could deal with the others in the world, we could protect our children from them. But not Andrew and Claire. They're the worst of the worst in my opinion. Get rid of them, and the world would be a _much _better place. But until then, no children."

"So you're saying that there's still a chance?" Tori asked, raising her eyebrows. "Us starting a family _isn't _an impossibility?" The raven-haired woman met her eyes.

"Don't you remember what you once said about nothing being impossible?"

Tori felt her heart skip a beat at her wife's words. She remembered those words very clearly. When she'd finally gotten signed to a record label and released her first single- which went to number one faster than you could say "holy chizz"- she'd been asked in a TV interview about her struggles to actually _get _signed. "There must have been times where you thought 'this is impossible'," the presenter had commented. Tori had looked over into the crowd at Jade, who was watching her proudly, smiled, and said, "I don't believe in the impossible. I just see something that takes more time and work." How Jade's eyes had shone in that moment. It was even better because she hadn't been expecting it. Jade got her back later that night though, and Tori hadn't been expecting _that_.

"We're gonna make this work Tori, I promise," Jade said sternly. "It _will_ happen. It's just gonna take time. You need to trust me." Tori smiled at her lovingly.

"I _do_ trust you," she spoke, standing up. She picked her phone up off the bedside table and checked the time. "But if I don't get to work _now, _I can't trust I'll still be recording an album." She gave Jade a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll be home later okay? I'm pretty sure it's only a three hour session today. Think you can hold out that long?"

_'No.' _

Jade nodded. "Sure. Just promise me you'll stay safe."

"I will, I promise. I've got Bridget and Chris to look out for me."

"You mean Bonnie and Clyde," Jade corrected. Tori shook her head.

"That's not their names and you know it," she laughed.

"But it sound cooler," Jade said. "Like code names or something."

"Why would a bodyguard need a code name?" Tori asked, and then realised, "you're stalling me aren't you?"

Jade grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, maybe a little." The half-latina sighed.

"Well stop it, I have to go now."

Jade frowned. "Fine, go," she muttered, waving Tori away. "Have fun." Tori sighed again, and walked to the door. If Jade was gonna be grouchy, she wasn't gonna irk her more.

"I'll see you later okay?" she called over her shoulder. No answer. "I love you?"

"Love you too," Jade mumbled, burying her face in her pillow. She didn't want Tori to see how much it hurt seeing her leave, even if it _was_ only for a few hours.

Tori left the room, feeling mildly guilty. She didn't _really _have a session booked for today. She was going to see Cat. Maybe _she _knew how to help Jade.

* * *

Down in Cat's basement, Andrew and Claire had just finished tying the girl's hands and feet together. She was still unconscious.

"Claire, hand me something to cover her mouth with," he ordered. The blonde woman stood up and looked around.

"Is duct tape any good?" she offered. "I can't see much else around."

"Sure," the dark-haired man smiled, holding his hand out. He was in ridiculously high spirits ever since they gotten here. Probably had something to do with the fact that phase one of their plan had been pretty damn successful. Claire handed him the silver tape and he tore a piece off, sticking it firmly over the unconscious redhead's mouth. Perfect. She couldn't escape, she couldn't scream for help...Andrew stood up and kissed his wife passionately, pushing her up against the wall.

"What was _that _for?" Claire breathed. Andrew smiled at her.

"For never letting me down."

Suddenly, Cat's phone started vibrating in the man's pocket. He'd taken it from her after he'd knocked her out. He would need it to lure Tori over here later. He looked at the message on the screen and grinned. This _had _to be his luckiest day ever.

"What are you so happy about _now_?" Claire asked, trying to see the screen. Andrew smirked and showed her the message.

_Tori: Hey Cat, I need to talk to you about Jade. You home?_

The two Wests met each others' eyes and laughed. Looked like they didn't need the bait after all.

* * *

**Until next time :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everyone, I'm back, and with some exciting news: I now have a phone, again :P I also have an app I downloaded onto it that is very similar to Microsoft office, meaning I can now write my stories at home, which _also_ means- you guessed it- I can now update on a more regular basis. Are you excited? I know I am.**

**So, the last chapter left everyone on the edge of their seats, wondering what was going to happen to our girls next. In this chapter, obviously, you'll get some answers.**

**Very heavy warning for this chapter- there is a _LOT _of triggers in this one. I highly recommend you pm me if you feel like you can't handle reading dark, depressing, suicide-reference scenes (because, as I said before, _triggers_) and I can give you a rundown of what happened. I don't want anyone doing anything stupid as a result of something I've written. I'd never forgive myself.**

**Thank you to everyone for your amazing reviews. As always I'm blown away by the amount of support from all of you. I'm so thankful for each and every one of you.**

**A few important shout-outs to make. I been having a rough couple of days (this chapter will probably give some hints as to just _how_ rough), and I need to thank the people who have helped me through it.**

**First off, my best friend NonieBee (4352183), who came running (or speeding, I should say) to my rescue last night when I needed her. She brought me back to her house to calm me down, and then stayed awake with me all night, making sure I was okay, and finding ways to keep me amused. I luff you Nonie, thank you so much.**

**Second, to my _other _best friend, Metatron85 (4231140), who, even though he lives aaaaaaaaall the way over in America, and was probably busy to the core, stayed by my side as well, constantly messaging me to make sure I was okay, and reminding me just how strong I really am. I'm still a long way from knowing it to be true, but each day you make it a little easier to believe. Thank you for everything. I love you.**

**I also want to make a shout-out to a very special reader who has just joined the ranks. Mysticparadise21. I know you're going through hell right now, but I know you can make it through. I've gone through hell too, and I'm still here. If I can do it, then so can you. Stay strong, and remember I'm always here :)**

**And, finally, this one goes out to PowerPlayer2010, who has been waiting anxiously for this chapter, thanks to my teaser-ing, haha. I've got the frying pan ready, the pancake batter mixed, the sundae cups on standby, and the free hugs building up :)**

**Here we go. Brace yourselves guys.**

* * *

Jade lay staring at the ceiling for over an hour before she finally decided to get up. Reaching for her phone, she checked for any messages from her darling Tori. None. Huh, that was weird. She usually sent her a message the second she walked out the door telling her how much she missed her. Maybe she was just in a hurry to get to work today. Jade _had_ kept her back a bit longer than she should've this morning. Tori probably forgot to send her a text because she was trying not to be late to the studio. Yeah, that had to be it.

_'Or maybe she's punishing me for hitting her.'_

Jade recoiled in shock. Had she really just thought that? Did she really think-?

She pushed the thought aside. No. She wouldn't allow herself to think about it. It probably wasn't even that anyway. Tori was just running late, right? She had told Jade she'd forgiven her. She wouldn't lie to her would she? She wouldn't say it was okay if it wasn't, would she? She wasn't still mad at Jade was she? Jade's head swam with questions, some she wasn't sure she wanted answered. She sighed and slid out from under the covers, sitting on the edge of the bed. Running a hand through her dark locks, Jade tried to control the panicked breathing that had seized her. Was Tori _really _that mad at her? No, she couldn't be. She'd forgiven her last night. Jade didn't feel like she deserved it-she'd struck her own wife for crying out loud-but she'd been forgiven nonetheless. So it wasn't that then. Unless Tori _had _been lying to her. Jade groaned and buried her face in her hands. Her mind was going around in circles, and it wasn't helping the situation. She needed to get up and distract herself, at least until Tori got home. Then they could talk about it; if there was actually anything that _needed_ talking about. Maybe she was just overreacting. Yeah, that was it. She was overreacting.

Jade stood up and walked over to the bathroom, opening the medicine cabinet. She took a bottle off the shelf and read the label, making sure it was hers.

_Mrs. Jadelyn West. Take one (1) every morning with food._

Yep, these were hers. She'd been on antidepressants for a couple of years now, after she'd been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, thanks to everyone-knows-who. She stared at the orange pill bottle for several moments, debating on whether or not to take one. She hadn't eaten yet, and she wasn't really all that hungry. The directions told her she had to take one _with food_. Since she wasn't gonna eat, she figured there was no point in taking her medication. They hadn't really been working lately anyway. The last two days had been proof of that. Jade shuddered, remembering everything that had happened. Almost cutting herself again, breaking Richard's nose at work (though he deserved that), hitting Tori...What was the point in taking something that clearly wasn't working? If anything, she needed a stronger dose. Until she could make an appointment to see her doctor and get more pills though, she decided to throw out her current bottle. Probably not the best idea in the world, but too bad. Jade just wasn't feeling up to it. She dropped the bottle into the small bin underneath the cabinet and then walked back into the bedroom, checking the time. Tori would be home soon. Jade took out some fresh clothes, before making her way back to the bathroom, running a hand through her hair. May as well do _something _to kill the time.

* * *

Tori sighed as she walked up the steps to Cat's front door. She felt so bad for lying to Jade. But she couldn't let her wife know what she was really up to. Jade would've insisted that everything was fine, that she didn't need help. What a lie that would've been. Jade was far from okay and Tori knew it. Vanessa had been more than helpful over the last few years, but Tori didn't want to keep bugging her everytime something went wrong. Cat was the only other person she could think of to help. She was Jade's best friend, maybe she knew what to do.

She knocked on the door and waited, watching the taxi drive away. She was going to ask Bridget and Chris to give her a ride over, but decided she didn't want her bodyguards watching her every move, not today. She also decided against driving her own car, because hey, crazy stalker fans and whatnot. Plus paparazzi. She just wanted to sit down in a comfortable setting with the redhead, and talk about her fears for her wife. She didn't need the whole world getting involved.

She sighed again. She was so worried about Jade. Jade was falling apart, she knew it. Now that Andrew and Claire were free, she didn't know how much more the raven-haired woman could take. Tori didn't want to risk it. She needed to help Jade, and she needed to do it _now_.

She tapped her foot impatiently. What was taking Cat so long? She knew she was on her way, she had sent her back a text saying she'd be home. So why was she taking so damn long to answer the door? Just when she was about to turn around and check out the back, she heard the bolt slide away and the handle turn. She recognised the faces before her immediately, but before she could run away or scream, her face was covered with a pillowslip and she was dragged inside.

* * *

Jade paced around the bedroom, worried. Tori would be finished at the studio by now, why hadn't she called or sent her a text yet? Where the hell was she? Was everything okay?

Jade growled loudly as she tried hard not to hit anything. Her hands were still aching from her outburst _yesterday. _Plus, Tori would probably get annoyed if she found out Jade had let her anger take control again. Actually, she probably expected it from the raven-haired woman; she had _hit her_ after all. Jade slammed her fist down on the bedside table. She _still _couldn't get it out of her head. The same image kept playing over and over in her mind: her pale hand swinging out and her open palm connecting with the side of the half-latina's face. The look of shock Tori wore. It was too much. Jade couldn't handle it. She checked the time on her phone. Tori was late. She always called her if she was gonna be late. Maybe her phone died again? No, that couldn't be it. And if it had died, she would've called from somebody else's phone. She wouldn't leave her hanging like that, not after last night's events. Would she? Jade hoped not, but then, Tori still hadn't called her, so maybe she would. No, it had to be something else. Something more than that. She'd seemed almost distant this morning, like she couldn't wait to get out the house and away from Jade.

_Away from her..._

Jade sank to her knees as the realisation hit her. Tori wasn't coming home. She'd finally had enough of the raven-haired woman's crap and left her. And she'd done it in the most simple yet painful way possible: no warning, no goodbye. She just never came home. And it was all Jade's fault. If she hadn't have hit her, maybe, just maybe...Maybe she would still be here. With Jade, the woman who loved her more than anything in this world. Who would do anything to protect her. But what happens when that one person who swears to protect you from any harm is the very person who hurts you? Jade had hurt Tori, and she would never forgive herself. How was she supposed to make it right? How was she supposed to protect Tori when she was the dangerous one? The answer was simple: remove the danger. Jade stood up and walked back into the bathroom. She opened the medicine cabinet, seeking out a single item. There it was. Jade picked up the razor blade. She knew what she had to do.

"I'm so sorry Tori," she whispered as she held the blade against her already scarred skin. "I'm so sorry. But I'm gonna fix this. I promise."

She pressed down hard, watching a small trickle of crimson liquid escape from her wrist. The familiar stinging sensation made the raven-haired woman hiss, but it was oddly comforting. Up until now, she hadn't realised just how much she'd been longing for it. That feeling of release, of letting go. She'd been holding in so much pain for so long; to watch her own life force slowly draining out was exactly what she'd been missing. She had hurt Tori; this was Jade's way of making it up to the brunette. Making herself suffer was the only way she could make amends with her wife.

It was the only way Tori would ever forgive her.

The world began to spin more and more with every cut Jade made. She had to make the pain go away. She had to make herself forget. She had to make it stop. Her vision grew blurry as tears stung her eyes, but she continued to smash at her skin. It was the only way. She would make herself suffer until Tori was satisfied.

_'Tori...'_

Would Tori _really _be happy that she was making herself suffer this bad? Would she really want to see Jade bleeding for her? Would she want Jade to hurt herself this way, despite everything the woman had put her through? The answer was clear: no, she wouldn't. Tori wasn't a sadist like that. She'd never wish pain upon anyone- Andrew and Claire being the only exception- and she certainly wouldn't _enjoy_ seeing anyone in pain. Especially not her own wife-if they were even still considered a married couple. Regardless, Tori wouldn't want Jade harming herself. But now that Jade had started she just couldn't stop. The feeling was so overwhelming, she just had to see it through. She had to make sure she would never hurt Tori again.

_'Wait!'_

Jade released the blade, watching it fall to the floor with a small clatter. It was stained with blood, as were her hands. There was blood all over the floor. How many cuts had she _made_? How _deep _had they been? Jade looked down at her left arm and stared horrified at the sight before her. She couldn't even _see_ the cuts with the amount of blood seeping from them. As for depth...Jade's eyelids began to grow heavy. Her arm was on fire. She staggered backwards, trying to keep herself from falling. She couldn't pass out, not yet. Not without making one last call. Jade collapsed to the floor, stretching out a hand to reach her phone on top of the bedside table. With shaking hands she hit the first number on her speed dial and waited. Tori didn't answer. Jade felt her heart break. So it really was true. Tori had given up on her. It was over. Tears streamed down the raven-haired woman's cheeks as she realised she was going to die alone. And she didn't even have the strength to write Tori a goodbye message. She would never see the half-latina again. She would never get to tell her just how sorry she really was. She would never get to tell her one last time just how much she really loved her.

_'No.'_

Jade couldn't give up. Not yet. Not when she still had so much to say to Tori. She loved Tori, and deep down she knew the half-latina still loved her too. She was just upset and hurting. Once she'd calmed down, she'd come back and talk things through with Jade, right? Jade fumbled with her phone once more, pulling up a number she'd called quite a few times over the last couple of years.

"Jade? What's up?" Vanessa spoke from the other end. Jade felt herself fading away with each second that passed, knowing she didn't have much longer. She needed help, and she needed it _now_.

The next words she spoke were barely a whisper.

"Help me, please. I'm dying."

* * *

**I already _know _I'm gonna get the shit kicked out of me for this (Azentra, I'm looking at you), but I still want to apologise anyway. Sorry this chapter got so out of hand, but hey, it's not the end yet. There's still time to make things right, isn't there? O.o**

**Stay tuned for the next dramatic, heart-wrenching update ;)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Ok guys, I'm back. Sorry I took so long to get the next chapter to you, I have had the ****_worst_**** week. Things just got...really bad. Anyway, I'm back now, with another shocker. You won't believe what happens next.**

**But before we get into it, there's a few people who deserve special mention. They've been right by my side for the last week, keeping me off the edge. If it weren't for these people, well...**

**Anyway, let's name them shall we?**

**NonieBee, my best friend, who has given me a place to crash all week. I luff you :D**

**Mysticparadise21, for coming up with an action plan to help me recover. She's been dealing with some heavy shit too, but still does whatever it takes to make me happy :) Thanks, mate.**

**PenNamesAreThereForAReason, and Azentra, who both offered strong words of support, and lent me their ears (or eyes) if I needed someone to talk to.**

**PowerPlayer2010, who is just always an amazing friend, and goes along with my crazy ideas. And is always there to lend a helping hand. Thank you :)**

**Metatron85...If it weren't for you, I'd quite posssibly be dead. You're my calming force, no matter how on edge I get. You can always bring me back down to reality, and chase the darkness away. I really, truly do not know where I'd be if it weren't for you these last few days. I love you man, thank you so much. Thanks for never giving up on me.**

**I also need to make a very special shout-out to someone very important to me. shadowhunterakira, who is just an absolutely beautiful person. For her to go through the hell she's been through lately, and still be standing strong, is absolutely inspirational. We've both been pulling each other through this week, and I definitely think she's been a lot stronger than me. Akira, I love you kiddo, never forget that :)**

**And to all of my reviewers, your reviews have been extra special this week. Thank you all so much for sticking around. I really do appreciate every single one of you.**

**Now let's get into this. Brace yourselves.**

* * *

Tori woke up with a pounding in her head, and a metallic taste in her mouth. When Andrew and Claire had dragged her inside, she had tried to fight them off. Andrew had punched her in the jaw, hence the foul taste in her mouth. She had bitten the inside of her cheek. As for the pounding in her head, it had been smashed against the doorframe in her struggle to break free.

The half-latina sat up in a daze, taking in her surroundings. So Andrew had opted for the basement setting again, how original of him. Tori looked around the room, her survival instincts kicking in. There had to be a way out. There just _had_ to be. Jade would be worried sick about her. And where was Cat? What had they done to her? Frantically, Tori tried to stand, until she realised she was bound around her wrists and ankles. Shit.  
"Planning on going somewhere?" a deep voice asked from the shadows. Tori's head snapped to the left. Andrew sat on a small stool, smiling at her menacingly. Tori's body tensed in fear. He was here. He was actually here.  
"Why so worried?" the dark-haired man asked, playing with a hunting knife. "Speak to me!" he ordered when the woman didn't reply. Tori flinched. What was she supposed to say?  
"W-Where's Cat?" she finally asked, wondering why she hadn't been gagged. The man's smile turned into a grin. Not a good sign. He stood up and walked over to the staircase.  
"Don't move," he directed Tori, before chuckling. "Oh wait, you can't."

Tori watched the man ascend the stairs, mentally freaking out. Where was he going? Where the _hell_ was Cat? And what was he planning on doing with that knife? The half-latina sat motionless, waiting for the man of her wife's nightmares to return. She hung her head and cried, wishing she hadn't been so careless. She shouldn't have come here alone. She should've gotten Bridget or Chris to bring her here. Or, at the very least, she should've told someone where she was going. She should've told Jade. Now she was trapped down here, cold, alone, scared, and with absolutely no idea on how she was going to make it out of this place. Or whether she'd still be _alive_ when she did.

A sob escaped Tori as she realised she hadn't sent Jade a single message all day. How worried would the woman be? What was she doing right now? Was she looking for her? Was she okay? She knew the raven-haired woman would be freaking out; she only hoped Jade hadn't gone and done anything dangerous, or stupid. She already had two injured hands, she didn't need _anymore_ damage to her body. Panic took hold of the half-latina. What if Jade had done something? What if she was seriously hurt right now, and needed Tori's help? What if she was alone and in pain? Tori's chest tightened. No. She couldn't let her mind torture her like that. She had to get out of here. She had to get back to Jade, back to the woman that she loved more than anything in this world, and just hold her forever. That was all Tori wanted. But something told her that wouldn't be happening anytime soon, if at all. And the thought scared her more than she was willing to admit.

A sound from above brought Tori back to her senses. Someone had turned the stereo on, and turned the volume up incredibly loud. Why the hell would they do that? The answer came to the half-latina almost as soon as she asked herself the question: so no one could hear the screaming. That's why Andrew and Claire hadn't put a gag on her. They wanted to hear her scream. But they also didn't want to draw too much attention to themselves. Loud music was a commonality around these parts, so no one really complained. It was the perfect cover-up. They could do whatever they liked to Tori, and no one would ever know. Maybe that's what they'd done to Cat. Tori shuddered, praying the redhead was okay. How long had she been here before Tori, suffering at the hands of those two? Had they even done anything to her yet? Or had they been waiting for Tori to arrive? Did Tori really even _want_ to know?

The sound of feet tapping made Tori jump. Andrew was coming back. She slid as far back into the corner of the room as she could, making herself as scarce as possible. Andrew came down the staircase with Claire following close behind, dragging Cat by the hair. From the look on the redhead's face, she'd been crying recently.

"Cat!" Tori cried. Claire threw the girl to the ground, laughing as she skidded along the concrete. There was dried blood on the young girl's forehead, and a cut on her lower lip. She was shaking uncontrollably. Tori turned her head to face the blonde woman.  
"What did you do to her?" she growled, struggling against her ropes. Claire laughed again, this time kicking Cat in the ribs. A small whimper escaped the girl, who looked as if she were trying desperately to stay still.  
"Leave her alone!" Tori screamed. Andrew knelt down in front of her.  
"Don't worry," he said softly, running a finger along the woman's tanned jawline. "We'll leave her alone. She's done her job. We've got you right where we want you now ." He snapped his fingers and Claire picked Cat up, holding the girl's arms behind her back. Andrew stood up and pulled a knife from his boot. It was the same hunting knife he had before. He tossed it up in the air, and then caught it hilt first, winking at Tori. He motioned towards the trembling redhead.  
"We have no use for her now," he smirked. He turned to face Cat. "Time to get rid of the bait."  
"No!" Tori roared. Andrew pulled his arm back, and then thrust the knife into Cat's stomach. Tori screamed. Andrew smiled and pulled the knife out, stabbing the girl again, and again, and again.  
"NO!" Tori's screaming was becoming more and more hysterical. Cat's eyes widened in shock, and she looked down at the knife sticking out of her abdomen. She looked back up and met Tori's eyes. Tears were falling down her cheeks. She opened her mouth to speak.  
"Cat, no," Tori cried, shaking her head. "Cat, please don't."  
"Tell Jade I'm sorry," Cat whispered, coughing up blood. "And tell Robbie I love him."  
The girl's body went limp in Claire's arms. Tori screamed until she felt her throat begin to tear. Cat couldn't be dead, she just couldn't be.  
"You fucking asshole! I'll kill you!" Tori screamed, struggling against her ropes.  
Andrew laughed, and Claire dropped the dead girl. They walked towards the half-latina, and the man knelt down in front of her, trailing the bloodstained knife up her leg.  
"And just _how_ exactly are you gonna do that when you're the one tied up, and I'm the one with the knife?" he asked, bringing the knife up underneath Tori's chin.

Tori swallowed hard. She had no words to say to the man. He was right. She was powerless. The dark-haired man smiled at the girl's sudden realisation.  
"You're gonna do exactly as I say," he growled, locking eyes with Tori. "Or I'll kill you just like her." He motioned towards Cat's lifeless body. "Are we clear on that?"  
Tori nodded her head shakily. Tears began to fall down her face once more. Andrew nodded his own head and stood up.  
"Good," he said sternly. He wiped the knife on his pants. Turning to his wife, he said, "now help me get rid of this piece of shit."  
"Don't touch her!" Tori shouted. "Don't you _fucking_ touch her!" The two Wests turned around and laughed.  
"You can't protect her Tori," Andrew chuckled, kicking the dead redhead. "She's gone." Tori grit her teeth.  
"I don't fucking care," she said in a low voice. "Don't touch her." Andrew held his hands up in mock surrender.  
"Fine, we'll just leave her here then shall we?" he teased. He knelt down beside Cat's body and stabbed the knife into the back of her head.  
"Hold this for me will you sweetheart?" he said sweetly, standing back up and walking to the stairs. Tori felt bile rise in her throat. These two were fucking sick. What had Cat ever done to deserve this fate? It should've been them lying on the floor bleeding out. Why was this happening?

Andrew held a hand out towards his wife. "Come on Claire, let's go and celebrate our successes." He winked at Tori. "We'll be back for you later sugar. We're having an upstairs party. Sorry you can't make it." He then smirked. "It's okay though, there'll be plenty more in the next few days that you can come to." Andrew turned on his heel and left with Claire, laughing the whole way.

Tori began to hyperventilate. She needed to get out of here, now. Andrew and Claire were going to kill her. They were going to rape and torture her. They were going to destroy everything good Jade had going for her.

Tori fell onto her side and stared at Cat's cold, lifeless body. She hoped Jade was okay. Because once all of this was over, none of them were ever going to be the same again.

* * *

**Oh no...What's gonna happen next? Will Tori be okay? Will _Jade_ be okay? Stay tuned and find out in the next installment.**

**Love you guys.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Are you ready to have your hearts ripped out and stomped all over? Prepare yourselves, this one is worse than the last.**

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, and thank you to SmilerLizbian for getting me to the 100 review mark. Check your messages, friend. You've won yourself a prize :)**

**Alright, let's get into it. Get ready.**

* * *

Vanessa sped out of the driveway, almost running down her parents' mailbox. Too bad. Jade's call had been urgent. Jade needed help, and she needed it _now_. Who cared if a mailbox was destroyed in the process? She'd ran out of the door so fast that she'd forgotten her keys initially, so she'd already wasted precious minutes running back to retrieve _those_. Speeding ticket? Who cared? Jade had said _what_ exactly? Oh, that's right. _"I'm dying."_ A speeding ticket was nothing compared to what the blue-eyed girl could be facing. Images flashed through the girl's mind, images she really didn't want to be seeing right now. She had to stay focused. She had to get to her in time. There was just one small question eating away at the back of her mind: why hadn't Tori answered her calls before? Jade was in trouble, and Tori wasn't picking up her phone. That wasn't normal. Maybe they'd had a fight? Tori and Jade, fight? No way. It was an inconceivable thought. Tori was probably just busy at the studio. Having said that though, Vanessa had tried calling her _eight times_. Something weird was going on. Maybe she and Jade _had_ fought. It wasn't an uncommon thing in marriages, but Jade and Tori...they'd been through _hell_ together. They knew how hard things were for the other sometimes. Why would they fight each other?

Vanessa skidded to a halt in front of the building that housed Jade and Tori's apartment. Jumping out of the car, she raced though the front doors and up the stairs in the lobby, so fast that the guy at the desk didn't even have time to stop her and ask if she lived here. She needed to get to Jade _now_. She couldn't lose another friend. She had to save Jade. She wouldn't let her have the same fate as Jenna...

Vanessa shook her head, fighting back the memories. Now was not the time to be thinking about her dead best friend. Jade was alive -she hoped; Jade had sounded pretty bad when she'd called- and she needed to keep it that way. She would _not_ let her die. It just wasn't an option. Jade West could not die.

As Vanessa made her way to the third floor and ran down the hall to the Wests' apartment, she could only hope that the raven-haired woman was still breathing.

* * *

Jade lay on the floor in front of the bedside table, breathing shallowly and barely moving. Blood continued to flow from her arm, her life slowly fading away. This wasn't how it was supposed to end. She wasn't meant to die like this. She only wanted the pain to stop, now it looked as if her heart were going to as well. She didn't even have the strength to cry. Her entire body felt numb; weak. Her arm didn't even hurt anymore. The only ache she felt was in her chest; heartache for Tori, whose beautiful face she would never get to see again. She would never get to hold her again, never get to touch her again, or kiss her, or run her fingers through her soft brown locks, or...

Jade's eyes rolled backwards and a single tear fell down her cheek as her vision began to blur, and her body grew still. She didn't hear the door being kicked down by Vanessa. She didn't see the paramedics arrive and put her into the back of the van. She didn't hear them tell Vanessa that she'd hit a crucial vein and her chances of survival were slim to none. The only sound she heard was her own heartbeat slowing in her ears, and death cackling as he drew nearer to her.

* * *

Tori continued to stare at the corpse of her wife's best friend. She couldn't believe Cat was gone. It just couldn't be real. She had to be dreaming. This was all a bad dream that she'd wake from any minute. She'd scream, and Jade would put her arms around her and tell her everything was going to be okay. That she would never leave her side. She'd press her lips to the half-latina's forehead and tell her she loved her. Tori would rest her head on the pale woman's chest and listen to her heart as it played a beautiful lullaby for her. And then they would both fall asleep together in each others' arms with a smile on their faces, without a care in the world. Tori squeezed her eyes shut and tried to envision Jade's arms around her as she cried softly. She tried to draw her strength from her memories of the woman, of all of their precious moments together. It was the only thing keeping her from falling apart. It was the only thing that gave her hope that she would make it out of here alive. If Jade let go, Tori would let go too. She knew Andrew and Claire would be back soon, and she feared what they would do to her. That's why she needed Jade. Jade would never let her go. If Jade let go, Andrew would win. And Jade would never let that happen, right? If she did, it was all over.

If Jade let go, _everything_ was over.

* * *

Vanessa followed the surgeons into the operating room, refusing to leave. When they threatened to call the police on her, she kindly told them that her uncle was a cop, so there wasn't really much they could do. They let her stay, provided she stay out of their way and shut up. Vanessa stood off to one side, trying to catch a glimpse of what they were doing to the raven-haired woman. There was so much blood. She couldn't believe a human body actually held that much of the crimson liquid. She watched as each doctor in the room worked on stopping the bleeding and stitching the woman's wounds. But it was proving to be difficult. There was just _so much blood. _Jade had hit a crucial vein in her arm, making the task even more difficult. They needed to repair the damage, and they needed to do it _now_. Jade was dying. But the blood. They couldn't see past the blood.

"We need to stop this bleeding ASAP," one of the surgeons spoke, checking the heart monitor. "Her heart rate is dropping. We're gonna lose her if we keep this up."

"We're trying as hard as we can!" another shouted, holding up a bloodstained gauze.

"Then try fucking harder!" Vanessa shouted, balling her hands into fists at her side. "Save her fucking life!"

The doctors in the room all turned to stare at her. Tears were falling down the girl's face.

"We're doing the best we can," one of the women assured, holding her hands up in a defensive manner.

"Well it's obviously not good enough," Vanessa growled, pressing herself against the wall. She was trying hard not to hit anyone. Jade absolutely could not die. It just wasn't allowed. If Jade died, Vanessa would drag her back here and kill her herself. She had to make it through. For Tori, wherever the singer was. She had to make it through for Tori. Tori, who currently wasn't returning her calls. Where _was_ she?

"We're losing her," the first doctor spoke, frantically wiping at the pale woman's arm. She was becoming even more pale with every ounce of blood she lost. "We're gonna have to attempt it blind."

The man reached for an already threaded needle, and began sewing Jade's arm up. The woman's arm was still drenched in blood, and the man had to continuously push it away to find the wounds, but he never stopped working. The woman from before assisted him, and soon all of the surgeons were helping to repair Jade's self-mutilated arm. Vanessa breathed a sigh of relief. Jade was going to be okay.

A sudden beeping sound shattered all of their hopes.

"Her heart rate's dropping," the woman spoke, touching the top of the machine. "She's not gonna make it." Vanessa felt her heart clench.

"What the fuck do you _mean_ she's not gonna make it?" she demanded, storming over to the female surgeon. "She _better_ fucking make it. Or else."

The woman blinked, taken aback by the girl's sudden outburst.

"Miss, you need to stay out of our way," she ordered, gently pushing the blue-eyed girl aside. Vanessa took hold of the table that held the surgical instruments, and flipped it over.

"_You_ need to fucking save her!" she screamed, stepping backwards until her back hit the wall. She looked so defeated. "You need to save her."

"We're doing the best we can," a dark-skinned woman with dreadlocks said softly, walking over to the crying girl. "We'll do whatever we can. But you need to stay out of our way. Please."

Vanessa nodded, feeling a lump in her throat. The woman smiled at her gently and stepped away from her. The monitor beeped again, this time louder.

"Hurry up Carter," the dreadlocked woman growled. The man stitching Jade's arm pulled his eyebrows together as he began to sew together the final cut on her arm.

"I'm almost done," he spoke through his teeth. "Just a little..."

A long 'beeeeep' stopped everyone in their tracks.

_'No,'_ Vanessa thought. _'No.'_

"Get a defibrillator," the man known as Carter ordered, finishing the final stitches on the raven-haired woman's arm. Vanessa remained frozen in place, her eyes wide with fear. Jade was dying, and she was powerless to do anything.

"Clear!" Carter shouted, bringing the pads down on Jade's chest. Her body jerked upwards, making Vanessa squeal. The heart monitor remained beeping.

"Again, clear!" Another failed attempt. Vanessa felt her body growing weak. She began sliding down the wall. This couldn't be happening. Jade couldn't die. She just couldn't.

"CLEAR!" came the cry of Carter one last time. Jade's body jerked upwards once more, and hit the operating table, motionless. The room was filled with the sound of the monitor flatlining. Carter looked up and met Vanessa's tear-filled blue eyes. Words weren't needed to convey his message to her. The look of pure sadness on his face said it all.

He turned to his assistant.

"Time of death?" he asked.

* * *

**I warned you all. I said it would be bad. How are your hearts? Hurting yet?**

**Is Jade ****_really_**** dead?**

**Stay tuned for the next chapter (if you haven't given up after this)**


	12. Chapter 12

**So I'm updating this via phone, and I still can't figure it out properly. Don't know how to add page breaks properly, so this will look really sloppy. Sorry. I promise I'll fix it when I have access to a computer.**

**Anyway, lets get into this. **

**Hopefully you can work out where the breaks are supposed to be ;)**

* * *

Tori woke up in fear, looking around to make sure Andrew and his bitch-wife hadn't returned yet. When had she fallen asleep? How long had she been out for? Cat was still motionless in front of her; Andrew's knife was still lodged in her head. Everytime the half-latina looked at the redhead, she felt like throwing up. How had it come to this? Cat had done nothing wrong, and yet she was dead. She didn't deserve this. If anyone deserved to die it was Tori, for being so careless. For not telling anyone where she was going. For not just staying at home with Jade and talking things through with her.

_Jade..._

Tori began to cry as it truly sunk in that she may never see her wife again. She would never get to see Jade smiling at her again, never feel the comfort of her embrace. She would never feel her soft lips pressed against her own, or hear her tell her she loved her one last time. It was all too much for Tori to handle. She would rather kill herself than to let those assholes do it for her. Either she found a way to get out of here, or she asked Andrew and Claire to give her a knife so that she could drive it through her own chest.

_A knife..._

She looked at Cat. The hunting knife was sticking halfway out of her head. It was a sickening sight, but suddenly Tori had an idea. She felt a small glimmer of hope. Maybe she _would_ get to see Jade again after all.

* * *

_"Jade," a bubbly voice spoke. Though, not as bubbly as it usually was._

_"Cat?" Jade whispered, blinking. "Where am I? It's so bright."_

_"Jade, you need to wake up," Cat said seriously. "Tori needs you." Jade took in her surroundings. White. So much white._

_"Am I dead?" she asked, locking eyes with the redhead. She looked so sad; she wasn't the bright and bubbly Cat Valentine that everyone knew and loved._

_"Wake up Jade," Cat repeated, looking as if she was going to cry._

_"Cat, what is going on?" Jade cried, starting to freak out. "Why do I need to wake up?"_

_"Tori needs you Jade, do you really need any other reason?" _

_Cat was right. Tori was the only reason Jade even bothered to open her eyes every day. Without her, nothing else mattered._

_"Say hi to everyone for me," Cat said softly, looking at her feet._

_"What do you- wait." So Jade was dead. But if Cat was here, didn't that mean-_

_"Cat, how did you die?"_

_"It doesn't matter Jade."_

_"Like _fuck_ it doesn't," the raven-haired woman growled. "What. Happened?"_

_"Just tell the others I love them, okay?" _

_"Does Robbie know?" Jade was beginning to panic. What was going on?_

_"He'll know soon enough. But please Jade, when you figure it all out, don't blame yourself." Cat pulled Jade into her arms and held her tightly._

_"You'll always be my best friend," she spoke into Jade's ear. "And I'll always love you."_

_"Cat?" Jade choked, fighting back tears. "What am I supposed to do without you?"_

_"I'll always be watching over you Jade," Cat promised, placing a soft kiss on the woman's forehead. "But now, you need to get back to the real world. You need to help Tori."_

_"What do you mean help T-"_

_Her words were cut short as the redhead, Cat, her best friend, placed both hands on her chest and gave her a gentle push, sending her back to the living world._

* * *

"Time of death?" Carter repeated, waiting for an answer. The woman with dreadlocks opened her mouth to speak.

"No!" Vanessa screamed, making them jump. "She's not dead. She is not dead. Don't you dare say she is."

The man looked at her with light-blue eyes and frowned. "I'm sorry miss, but there's nothing more we can do-"

"Like fucking _hell_ there isn't," she growled, storming over to the operating table. "Jade, you listen to me," she growled, "you can't die. You fucking hear me? You can't die." Vanessa slammed her fists down on the woman's chest. "Goddammit Jade you just can't. You have to live, please. Don't die on me." When she received no response from the girl she screamed angrily.

"Jade!" She hit her again."Wake the fuck up. Don't. You. Dare. Die." With each word she spoke, a sharp pounding was given to Jade's chest. Vanessa was desperately trying to bring her back to life. She wasn't going to give up on her. Jade just couldn't be dead. She couldn't be.

"Jade, please," the blue-eyed girl begged, sinking to her knees. "You can't do this. You need to wake up. For me. For your friends. For your mother and Nate. For Tori..."

Vanessa began to sob loudly. Jade couldn't be gone. It couldn't be happening. She had to live. What would Tori say? How would she react to this kind of news? She wouldn't handle it. Vanessa and the other would lose two friends, and that just _could not_ happen.

Carter placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "She's not waking up."

"Like _hell_ I'm not," a weak voice spoke, as the heart monitor began beeping again. All eyes in the room widened as Jade sat up and glared. She gripped the crying blue-eyed girl's shirt, and pulled her towards herself, meeting her eyes.

"Where the _fuck_ is my wife?"


	13. Chapter 13

**Here we go folks, another heart-pounding chapter. Again, I'm uploading via phone, so it's gonna look sloppy again. Sorry. Anyway, hope you enjoy. The intensity begins now. Warning for this chapter, there are some pretty graphic moments. You'll see what I mean.**

**Special shout-outs to two very important people. Metatron85 and Mysticparadise21. My soldier and my princess. You two have been my shining lights in recent times. I'm so thankful to have you both in my life. I love you both so much, more than words can possibly say. Thank you for everything you've done. This one is for you two.**

* * *

Tori was shaking. She'd never been more afraid in her entire life. She prayed to God Andrew or Claire didn't come back down here anytime soon. Who _knows_ what they would do to her if they saw what she was attempting. With the sounds they were making upstairs though, she had a feeling they'd be busy for a while. Which suited the half-latina just fine. It gave her more time to figure out how the hell she was gonna get out of here. Her _and_ Cat. There was no way she was going to leave the redhead behind with those monsters. God knows what they would do to the poor girl's body. When it came to Andrew and Claire West, anything was possible, and it was always horrible. No. Tori wouldn't let the redhead be exposed to that, dead or not. If Tori was getting out of here, Cat was coming with her. She deserved a proper burial, surrounded by friends and family, the people who loved her most. Since it was Tori's fault she was dead, the half-latina felt she owed it to her. No matter what it took, she would get Cat out of here.

With shaking hands, and her back facing the redhead, Tori reached for the hunting knife. Her heart began to race as her fingers brushed against the hilt. She took a deep breath and wrapped her hands around the knife's handle, hating what she had to do next.

"I'm so sorry Cat," she whispered as she tugged on the weapon. It was jammed in tight. This was gonna take some effort.

The half-latina took a steadying breath and fought back the urge to vomit. She could do that later. For now, she had to get out of here. She had to get back to Jade. And she had to make sure those fuckers paid for what they did.

Tori squeezed her eyes shut and gave the knife another pull, this time harder. She felt the metal loosen itself from the girl's head slightly and slide upwards. Bile rose in the woman's throat, and she almost lost control right there. She inhaled deeply through her nose and grit her teeth.

_'Just a little more. Almost there.'_

Her hands were growing sweaty, and she had to adjust her grip. She jumped when she felt her fingers brush against blood-soaked hair. Jesus Christ. This was wrong. Andrew and Claire we're going to pay for this. They were going to pay _bad._

Tori braced herself and gave the knife one final pull. A sickening squelch sound emitted as the blade slid free from the redhead's skull. Tori pulled her knees up as high as she could and buried her head in them. She tried to control her breathing. She was hyperventilating. She had just pulled a knife from her friend's head. A fucking_ knife_. This was _wrong_. This was so wrong. But it was her one and only chance at escape. She had to act _now_, before Andrew and Claire came back. They would kill her if they found out what she was doing. No one would know where she and Cat were. At least until Robbie came back, but that wasn't for another couple of weeks. Their bodies would be decomposing by then. She had to get out. She had to get out now. She had to get back to Jade, and she had to call the police. She had to make sure Andrew and Claire never hurt anyone ever again. The police would get them, and they would be locked up, or shot dead or something. Tori didn't care what-though she'd prefer the shooting-as long as they could never hurt a single soul again. This ended_ now_. Andrew and Claire were going to pay. As soon as Tori got out of here, they would pay.

Tori felt a brief flash of anger at the police. How on Earth had they let Andrew and Claire get away? Why hadn't they tried harder to find them? If her father were still here-

Tears sprang to the half-latina's eyes as her father's image flashed in her mind. If he were here, he would've caught the bastards already. He would've known where to look. Cat wouldn't be dead. And Tori wouldn't have to spend every day lying to herself and everyone around her everytime she said she was okay. She missed him so much, and it hurt like _hell_ knowing he was never coming back. He'd been gone for nearly six years, but it felt like yesterday. He never even got to see her get married...

Tori sniffed, trying to stop the tears that were falling down her face. There was no time for tears. She had to get herself and Cat out first. That's what David Vega would've done. Protect the civilians, mourn later. He was always the strong one in the family. Now Tori had to be. If not for herself, then for everyone around her. Her friends, her family. Her Jade...She had to be strong for all of them. She closed her eyes and pictured all of their smiling faces. Could she do it? Could she really get out of here? Jade stepped forward, in her wedding gown, smiling down at her.

_"I love you Tori,"_ she whispered. _"Come home to me."_

Tori flipped the knife around in her hands and began hacking at the ropes, hearing Jade whisper those words over and over in her head.

* * *

"Where is she?" Jade growled for the hundredth time. No one seemed to have an answer for her. She turned to Vanessa.

"Where's Tori?" she demanded, gripping the edges of the hospital bed tightly. After the shock of the raven-haired woman's miraculous return from the dead had worn off, Doctor Carter had ordered someone to relocate her to a more comfortable setting, so that she could recover. Jade had been in a foul mood ever since. It probably bad something to do with the fact that a certain half-latina was absent from her bedside.

"I don't know," Vanessa repeated, running a hand through her hair. "I've tried calling her at least a dozen times, and she's not picking up." She frowned, wondering what could be stopping the woman from answering her phone.

"Then call her again," Jade spoke through her teeth. She was growing more and more irritated by the second. Where the fuck was her wife? Why wasn't Tori answering her phone? Jade needed her, and she wasn't here. She was in pain, and Tori wasn't around to take the pain away. Not to mention the fact that her best friend was dead, and her asshole parents were on the loose-

Oh no.

_No._

It couldn't be.

Suddenly it all made sense.

Jade threw back the covers and pulled the IV drip from her hand.

"Jade, what are you doing?" Vanessa asked, trying to stop the woman from climbing out of the bed. Jade gripped the blue-eyed girl's shoulder, steadying herself. Her heart was racing. If her hunch was correct, she needed to get to Tori _now_. Before it was too late. Before she lost her sweetheart forever.

She locked eyes with Vanessa.

"Take me to Cat and Robbie's house. _Now_."

* * *

Tori's heart pounded with every cut she made on the ropes. Any second Andrew and Claire could come through that door, and it would all be over. Tori would be dead. Cat would have died in vain. And Jade would be all alone in the world again. Tori wouldn't have it. She would _not_ let that happen. She was going to get out of here, no matter what the cost. She hadn't gone through six years of hell just to die now. No. Andrew and Claire would not be given that satisfaction. Those bastards deserved to rot in hell. Tori was gonna make sure that happened.

She made one final cut with the knife, and her hands were free.


	14. Chapter 14

**Alrighty guys, you've waited patiently. Now here it is. Will Tori escape? Will Jade and Vanessa make it in time? What will happen? Read on and find out.**

**Another mobile update, so again, sorry for sloppiness. I've tried to neaten it up a bit this time...**

**Sisi427-Welcome back. It's been just a little bit empty without you here. Glad you're still around :)**

**PenNamesAreThereForAReason-Thanks for sticking by me. And for calling this your favourite Jori story. Much appreciated :)**

**Azentra-My personal butt kicker. Thanks for keeping me grounded :)**

**Mysticparadise21-We're both going through hell, but we're still standing. Thank you for everything you've done. And always remember I'm here for you too. Wuv you Princess :) "When it's sudden death we fight back..."**

**Metatron85-I love you. It's as simple as that. You're my best friend from the States, and you're my hero. Thank you. You know what for.**

**Here we go. Gonna take a small break after this chapter, for a much needed chill out session. I've burnt myself out a little. I promise to have a new chapter out before the new year, but for now I'm holidaying. I do however have a one-shot that I'll be releasing for Christmas sometime tomorrow (for my 100th reviewer), but then that's it. Haha. Happy Holidays everyone :)**

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay to do this?" Vanessa asked, turning her head to look at the raven-haired woman beside her. Jade looked even paler than normal, and she kept fading in and out of consciousness. Her head snapped up and she locked eyes with the blue-eyed girl.

"Tori's life is at stake," she growled. "It'll take more than severe blood loss to stop me from-" her head tipped backwards and she started sliding down the car seat.

"Jade!" Vanessa shouted, pulling the vehicle over. Jade sat up, blinking profusely.

"I'm fine," she snapped, seeing Vanessa's worried expression. "Just keep driving."

Vanessa frowned. Technically, Jade wasn't supposed to be out of hospital for at least another few days. Somehow though, she had managed to convince the doctors that she was fine and would just rest up at home. So, now, here they were. Jade wasn't resting, she was far from okay, and Vanessa had no idea whether or not they were even going to the right place to find Tori, despite Jade swearing up and down that she knew. She wouldn't say _how_ she knew, but the look in her eyes were so intense, so certain, that Vanessa didn't question it. Jade had said "take me to Cat and Robbie's house," so that was where they were going. They really should have called Bridget and Chris, but Jade said the wait would have been too long. They needed to get to Tori now. And when it came to Tori, there was no arguing with Jade.

Vanessa looked across at Jade, who was staring out the window, trying to stay awake. She admired her strength and dedication. Not many people could say they knew someone who would go running to their wife's rescue just hours after dying and then miraculously waking up on the operating table. But Jade was different. Jade _knew_ what it was like to have your life hanging in the balance and not knowing if anyone was coming to save you. Jade _knew_ how terrifying it was to not know whether you were going to live another day. And Jade knew that without Tori in her life, she wouldn't be able to go on. What was a little blood loss and fatigue compared to that? Vanessa put the car back into gear and resumed driving.

They hit a bump in the road and Jade groaned, pressing her head against the cool glass. She felt like she was going to throw up. But she had to stay strong. She had to keep going, for Tori's sake. Tori needed her. So what if she'd lost a little blood? So what if she'd technically died? It was nothing compared to what the half-latina could be going through right now. Jade was in pain, but Tori could be in worse, if she didn't get to her soon. And there was no way in_ hell_ Jade West would let that happen to the love of her life.

Vanessa shot her another worried look. "Are you okay?" she asked, placing a hand on the woman's knee. Jade didn't answer her. She was in too much pain. The morphine was starting to wear off, and she could feel her arm beginning to burn again.

"Jade?" Vanessa's voice was growing panicked. "Do you need me to turn arou-"

"No," Jade croaked, wrapping her arms around herself. "No. Just get me to Tori." She squeezed her eyes shut and began to cry.

Vanessa looked at the speedometer and then back to Jade. Fuck it. Uncle Gary could fine her all he wanted. Jade needed Tori. Tori needed Jade.

She floored it.

* * *

Tori stood up, sliding the knife into her boot. She'd finally cut herself free. Now, she had to make an escape. She paused, listening out for any signs of movement downstairs. The only sounds she could hear were increasingly loud moans, but they were coming from_ upstairs_. Tori groaned. She really didn't need to hear Andrew and Claire's "party". Couldn't they keep their damn mouths shut? At least she knew they would be occupied for a while.

She knelt down beside Cat's lifeless form and rolled her over gently. Her stomach flipped when she saw the girl's eyes staring back at her. The life had long since faded from them, and Tori felt her heart break. This just wasn't fair. Her life had been taken way too soon. She still had her whole life ahead of her; how could she be dead? She was supposed to marry Robbie, and start a family, and become super famous...Now that would never happen, all because of Andrew and Claire.

Tori felt the anger rise in her chest. They weren't going to get away with this. She would make them pay. She was willing to resort to whatever means necessary to ensure the redhead's death wasn't in vain. Andrew and Claire West would go down. They would die. And if Tori had anything to do with it, she would be the one to deliver the killing blows. She didn't care about the consequences; she just wanted to avenge her friend's death. First, they had to get out of here.

Tori slid her arms underneath the girl-one under the neck, and one underneath the legs-and lifted her up. She felt a lot heavier than Tori remembered.

"Come on Cat, let's get you out of-oh shit."

Andrew stood at the foot of the steps, smirking.

"And just what exactly do you think _you're_ doing bitch?" he asked, crossing his arms. Tori squared her jaw.

"Getting the fuck out of here," she growled, trying to step past him. Bad move. Andrew put his hands on her shoulders and shoved her backwards. Tori staggered and lost her grip on Cat. The redhead hit the floor with a THUD and remained motionless. Tori looked up at the dark-haired man and glared.

"You think you can get away from me?" Andrew taunted, walking towards the half-latina. "You ain't going _nowhere_. I'm not finished with you."

Tori shot daggers at him. "Yeah, well I'm finished with you," she hissed, crouching down.

"What are you do-" Andrew didn't have time to finish his sentence. Tori pulled the hunting knife from out of her boot and drove it into the dark-haired man's chest. Andrew howled in pain, and Tori shoved past him, running up the stairs and out into the kitchen.

"Fucking bitch!" Andrew roared from the basement. Tori didn't stop running. If she paused for even a second, it was all over. She heard footsteps behind her.

"Get back here!" It was Claire. A hand gripped the back of her shirt and pulled her backwards. Tori grabbed the first thing she could find-a vase-and swung behind herself. A grunt told her she'd hit her mark. Claire released her, and Tori kept running. When she reached the front door, she found it to be locked. Shit. Claire stood in the middle of the living room clutching her face. There was a lot of blood. Andrew still hadn't surfaced. Maybe she'd hit his heart? Tori could only pray. She looked around desperately, trying to find a key. Where did Cat keep her spare? Claire was beginning to stand again, wiping the blood from her face. Tori didn't have time to look for the key. She'd have to find another way out. She heard more footsteps in the distance. Andrew was coming. The window. Tori would have to climb out of the window. Would she make it? Claire was fast approaching. Andrew had hit the top of the stairs and was shouting at his wife. Tori raced to the window in the living room and undid the latch.

"Don't let her get away!" Andrew bellowed, shoving Claire aside, staggering towards the half-latina. Tori pulled the window up and swung a leg through, sitting on the frame. She shot one final glance at Andrew and Claire-who looked pissed off as hell-and jumped out.

"No!" Andrew shouted. Tori didn't look behind to see if they followed. The only thought on her mind was, _'get to Jade.'_

Tori ran, faster than she'd ever ran in her entire life. She was free, but she wouldn't feel safe until she was back in the arms of her beloved wife. She wouldn't feel safe until she heard Jade _tell her_ she was safe. She wouldn't feel safe until Andrew and Claire were gone for good. Now that she had escaped, the chances of that happening were a lot higher. Now that she had escaped, Andrew and Claire were going down.

* * *

Vanessa turned the corner onto Cat's street, and Jade sat up a little straighter. They were almost there. Was Tori there? Was she okay? Had she seen what had happened to-

Jade felt her stomach turn. Cat. Cat was dead. Her best friend was gone. She hadn't told Vanessa yet; she would've thought she was insane. Maybe she was. Maybe it had all been a bad dream. But something told the raven-haired woman she hadn't been dreaming when the redhead had come to her. It had felt too real. Cat was gone, and Tori was trapped in there with Andrew and Claire. She just knew it. She felt it in every fibre of her being. Which meant Vanessa needed to hurry the fuck up and get them to Cat and Robbie's house, before something really bad happened. If it hadn't already.

Jade shook her head. She couldn't think like that. She had to stay positive. Tori had to be okay, she just had to. Because if Jade lost her...

"Jade, is that-" Vanessa gasped, pointing towards a figure running their way. Jade's head snapped up. She looked at where the blue-eyed girl was pointing and felt her heart clench.

'Tori...'

Jade unbuckled her seatbelt.

"Jade, what the hell are you-" Vanessa started as Jade threw open the door. She barely had time to put the brakes on when the raven-haired woman jumped out of the car and ran towards her wife.

"Tori!" Jade shouted, reaching a hand out towards the half-latina. Tori crashed into her and grabbed hold of her shirt, pressing her face into her chest. Her whole body shook and she sank to her knees, bringing Jade with her.

"Jade," she sobbed. "Jade, I was so scared." Jade wrapped her arms around her wife and held her close, ignoring the searing pain in her left arm.

"It's okay baby," she whispered, stroking Tori's hair. "I'm here now. You're safe. It's okay. I'm here." Tears fell down her own face. How could she have ever though Tori would leave her? She was an idiot. After everything they had been through, did she honestly think Tori would do that to her? Jade mentally kicked herself.

_'Idiot...'_

Tori's sobbing grew heavier. Jade continued to hold onto her, never wanting to let go.

"Cat..." Tori choked out. "Cat's in there...Andrew and Claire..."

Jade shot a worried glance at Vanessa. "Call the police," she ordered. Vanessa nodded. Jade turned her attention back to Tori. "It's okay baby, we're gonna get them," she promised, pressing her lips against the brunette's forehead. "Everything's gonna be okay."

"I thought they were gonna kill me," Tori cried. "I thought I'd never see you again."

Jade clenched her jaw. It was one thing for those assholes to ruin her own life, but for them to try and destroy her wife's? No. They would not get away with that. They would suffer greatly.

Vanessa walked back over to them just then, sliding her phone into her pocket.

"I've just spoken to Uncle Gary. The cops are on their way." Jade looked up at her.

"They'll be a little while won't they?" she asked.

"They'll be here as soon as possible, but it'll take them a little while to get here," Vanessa answered. "Why?" Jade gave her a wicked smile. Her strength had suddenly returned.

"We still have time then," she said quietly. Vanessa raised an eyebrow.

"Time for what?" she asked worriedly. Jade smirked.

"Time to make those bastards suffer."


	15. Chapter 15

**Welcome back! Did ya miss me? ;) I've spent the last few days in bed with the flu, and my God it's been painful. But, thanks to a few special people (Metatron85 and Mysticparadise21, along with my Nan), I'm feeling a lot better now. My head is a little clearer and I've got story ideas flowing out of me, haha. So here we go. Get ready. Things are gonna heat up reaaaal soon :D**

**Hope you all had a Merry Christmas**.

* * *

The police arrived before Jade could get into the house.

"I thought you told me they were gonna be a little while," Jade hissed at Vanessa, watching Gary and his men enter the Valentine/Shapiro house.

"Yeah, like ten minutes," Vanessa whispered back. When Jade glared at her she said, "What? You thought they were gonna be an _hour_ or something?" Jade looked away and sighed.

"Ten minutes is nowhere _near_ enough time to do to them what I had planned," she mumbled. She looked back at the house. "Now I'm never gonna get my chance."

"What did you have planned?" Vanessa asked nervously. Jade looked over at Tori, who was being treated by a paramedic for shock. As if sensing her watching, the half-latina looked up and smiled at her sadly. Jade felt anger boil up inside of her. How dare Andrew and Claire put her wife through hell? How dare they traumatise her like that? How dare they kill her best friend and make Tori watch? And now they were going to be caught and locked up again for the rest of their lives? No. It wasn't fair. They had to suffer. They had to pay. Life in prison just wasn't enough. As far as Jade was concerned, the only way to make them truly pay for what they had done was to put them through the same torture she, Tori and Cat had been made to endure. And she had to be the one to deliver said torture.

She looked back over at the blue-eyed girl. "Hell," she answered. "I planned on putting them through hell. I wanted them to suffer like I have for the last eight and a half years. I wanted them to pay for what they did to my wife. I want them to suffer a lifetime's worth of torture for murdering my best friend. And now, because your fucking uncle is here and probably handcuffing them as we speak, I'll never get that chance." She crossed her arms and walked over to Tori, sitting beside her in the back of the ambulance van.

"Hey," Tori said quietly, adjusting the blanket around her shoulders. She stared at the ground.

"Hey," Jade mumbled. "How you holding up?"

Tori sniffed and wrapped the blanket tighter around herself. "I feel awful," she whispered as a tear slid down her cheek. Jade put a protective arm around her and pulled her close, pressing her lips into the woman's hair.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, fighting back her own tears. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you."

A small choking sound escaped Tori's lips. "It wasn't your fault," she sobbed, closing her eyes and leaning into Jade's shoulder. "You didn't know where I was. I told you I was going to work and I wasn't. I got myself into this mess." Jade felt her shirt growing wet from the brunette's tears. "It's my fault Cat's dead."

Jade wrapped her other arm around Tori's waist and pulled her onto her lap, wincing as she felt her stitches tug. Tori buried her face in the raven-haired woman's chest and cried uncontrollably.

"Tori, it's not your fault," Jade whispered, rubbing a hand up and down Tori's back. "You can't blame yourself for what happened to her."

"You probably hate me," Tori choked; her voice was muffled. Jade's eyes widened in shock.

"Tori, how could I ever hate you?" she asked, tightening her arms around the half-latina. "You're my wife. The woman of my dreams. The only reason I wake up in the morning. I could never hate you. The only thing I feel towards you is one hundred percent love. Never forget that."

Tori sniffed and looked up at her. "But...but I-"

"Tori there was nothing you could've done even if you'd wanted to," Jade said, wiping the woman's tears away.

"I did want to-"

"I know," Jade whispered. "I know you did. I know you wanted to help her." She felt tears start to form in her eyes and her voice shook. She took a deep breath. "But I know what those assholes are like. They would've made it so you couldn't do anything but watch, right?" Tori nodded and then hung her head. Jade slid a hand under her chin and lifted her face up to meet her own.

"It's not your fault Tori," she repeated, locking pale-green with deep brown. "Okay?"

"O-okay," Tori stammered, not entirely sure she believed it. Jade gave her a small smile.

"I love you," she spoke, tears shining in her eyes.

"I love you too," Tori whispered, beginning to cry again. Jade leaned towards her and pressed their lips together softly. Tori wrapped her arms around Jade's neck and pulled her as close to her as humanly possible, savouring the moment. She thought she would never get to do this again; she thought she would never feel Jade's kiss, or her arms around her ever again. She thought she would never see Jade ever again. She had never been more scared in her entire life. She felt the urgency in Jade's kiss, as if she too had been thinking the same thing. Which, Tori realised, she was. Tears were falling down the raven-haired woman's face when she broke the kiss. She pressed their foreheads together and took deep, steadying breaths, trying to hold herself together.

"Don't ever scare me like that again," she breathed. "I don't know what I would do if I lost you."

Tori gripped Jade's shirt tightly and squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm so sorry Jade. I'm so sorry. I never meant for this to happen."

Jade couldn't speak. All she could do was pull her wife into her arms and hold her tightly as they both cried. The sound of someone clearing their throat made Jade look up.

"They're gone," Vanessa informed, running a hand through her hair. She sounded breathless, as if she'd been running.

"Who?" Jade asked, confused. Vanessa sighed.

"Andrew and Claire. They're gone."

Jade's heart started racing. They were gone? So the cops hadn't caught them?

"What do you mean they're gone?" Tori asked. Her face turned white and she began to shake. Jade kissed her forehead in an attempt to soothe her, and then turned back towards Vanessa, glaring.

"How did they get away with that many guys surrounding the fucking place?" she demanded. Vanessa shrugged.

"They've done it once before," she muttered, pulling her eyebrows together.

"Yeah well they should've been better prepared this time then shouldn't they?" Jade growled, clenching her fists behind Tori's back. Secretly, she was kind of pleased. Sure, it was bad that they had gotten away, but it was a good thing for her. That meant she still had a chance to make those bastards pay. And seeing the fearful expression on the half-latina's face made her all the more determined to carry out the punishments she had in store for them.

"Yeah, well, the assholes had a head start now didn't they?" Vanessa snapped, crossing her arms.

"Well how did we not notice them running while we were waiting?" Jade challenged. Vanessa's expression softened.

"You were comforting your wife," she said softly. "We were all just relieved to see each other again. How were we supposed to know they would use that to their advantage?"

Jade sighed. "Yeah I guess you're right," she said, lowering her gaze, "but now they're on the loose, again, and no one knows where they're heading."

"I think I have an idea," Vanessa offered. Jade's head shot up.

"What?!"

The blue-eyed girl smirked. "Think about it, where's the one place the police wouldn't think to look?" Jade blinked several times.

"I dunno-"

"Somewhere that no one's been to for a long time," Vanessa pushed.

"I don't-"

"The place where it all started," Tori breathed, suddenly realising. Vanessa nodded.

"The place has been abandoned for years, ever since the cops made the arrest," Vanessa continued. Jade looked back and forth between them.

"What are you two talking about?" she shouted, growing irritated.

"Home," Vanessa answered, locking eyes with her. "They're going home." Jade's eyes widened. Suddenly she knew.

"Does Gary know about this?" she asked. Vanessa shook her head.

"I figured you'd wanna get a head start on them." She smiled mischeiviously. Jade considered for a moment. The news crew hadn't arrived yet, and Gary was still in the house, no doubt checking out the scene in the basement where Cat was. If they left now, no one would notice they were gone until it was too late. Her face took on a determined expression.

"Take me there. Now."

* * *

"Ah, home sweet home," Claire sighed, running her fingers along the cement wall in the old basement. Everything looked exactly as it had before they'd been arrested. The table still sat on the far left of the room, and there were still some of their old "tools" sitting on top. Everything remained untouched.

"They won't find us here," Andrew spoke, smirking. "This place has been abandoned for years." He chuckled. "I mean, who would wanna live in a house that belonged to psychos?"

Both Andrew and Claire began laughing hysterically.

"Ah shit," the dark-haired man muttered, looking down at his bloodstained shirt. "Honey, do you think you could stitch me up?" he asked sweetly. "I appear to be a little-"

The sound of a door being kicked in snapped their attention to the staircase. A raven-haired woman came storming down the stairs with a murderous look on her face. Pale-green eyes shone with hatred. Upon seeing Andrew, she gave him the sweetest smile she could manage.

"Hey Dad," she said cheerfully, chilling the man to the bone. "Miss me?"

* * *

**Awww yeahhh! Shit is about to get cray-zayy. Stay tuned. Next chapter in a day :D**


	16. Chapter 16

**Alright, Jade's revenge part one. Bring on the insanity ;)**

* * *

Inside Vanessa's car, Tori was visibly shaking.

"Hey, she's gonna be okay," Vanessa whispered, placing a hand over the half-latina's. "She knows what she's doing."

"She's gonna get herself killed!" Tori shouted, pulling her hand free. Vanessa held up her hands defensively.

"Tori, relax," she said. "She'll be fine. I gave her the taser that Uncle Gary gave to me. She'll be okay." She bit her lip. Gary had given that taser to her as a means to protect _herself_ if ever she was in a dangerous situation and no one else was around. If he knew she had given it to Jade for torturing purposes...

"Vanessa, she's weak; I could see it in her movements. She was almost falling over." Tori looked at Vanessa with tears in her eyes. "What happened to Jade while I was gone? Why does she look like she could collapse at any minute?" A tear slid down her cheek. "Why does she look like she's about ready to give up?"

Vanessa took a deep breath. She couldn't tell Tori what had happened, she'd freak out. And knowing her she'd go running in after Jade, and if that happened, Vanessa would be toast. Jade would never forgive her. This was something Jade had to do on her own, and judging by the look she'd had on her face before, she had some pretty awful things planned for her father and Claire. Things Tori shouldn't be allowed to see. Things _no one_ should be allowed to see. She couldn't tell Tori, not yet.

"She's just relieved you're okay," Vanessa lied, pulling a half smile. "She's been worried sick."

"Don't lie to me!" Tori growled, shooting daggers at the woman beside her. "You wouldn't look like that if you were relieved. She looks like someone who's just come back from the dead or something. Now tell me. What. Happened?"

Vanessa shook her head. "I can't."

"Why the hell not?" Tori demanded, growing more irate by the second. Vanessa sighed.

"Because if I tell you then you're gonna go running in there and then Jade will never get closure" She met Tori's eyes. "She needs to do this. It's the only way she'll be able to move on"

"At what cost?" Tori argued, clenching her fists. "Her_ sanity_? Vanessa, I am_ not_ losing my wife just because she wants to make those cowards pay for what they did. So you better tell me, _right now_, what the fuck happened to her, or _so help me_ you're gonna regret it." Her eyes were burning with an intensity Vanessa had never seen was dead serious. She wanted answers, and she wasn't going to stop until she got them. Again, Vanessa sighed.

"Fine, I'll tell you. But you're not gonna like it."

* * *

_"Hey Dad, miss me?"_

Andrew took a step back, almost hitting the wall. How had Jade known where to look for him?

"Jade-"

The raven-haired woman didn't give him any time to speak. In one swift movement she took hold of his face with her hand, digging her nails in, and rammed the back of his head into the concrete wall behind him. Stars danced before the man's eyes and he began sliding down the wall.

"Andrew!" Claire screamed. She picked up a pair of scissors from off the table and ran towards Jade. She lost her footing however, and landed on her knees, the scissors sliding across the floor and stopping at Jade's feet. Jade turned her head and looked at her; her eyes were ablaze with fury. The blonde woman began to scramble away, as cowardly as ever.

"Not so fast," Jade spoke lowly. She picked the scissors up off the floor and began walking towards Claire, smiling sweetly.

"You like scissors don't you?" she asked, repeating the same line that had been haunting her for years. Claire froze. She had nowhere to hide. Jade smirked.

"You do? Then you're gonna _love_ this."

She drew back her hand, and then brought it forward, ramming the scissors into the side of the woman's leg, straight through the kneecap. Claire screamed in agony.

"How does it feel?" Jade growled, kneeling down beside her. She pressed her lips to the woman's ear. "That's nothing compared to the hell _I've_ been through. Stop being such a baby." She took hold of the handle on the scissors and twisted them slightly, making Claire howl again. The ghost of a smile appeared on Jade's lips.

"Be thankful it hurts," she murmured, "it means you're still alive. For now."

Claire's eyes widened with horror. Suddenly she was extremely afraid of what Jade was going to do to her and her husband. She'd never seen this look on anyone before. Jade looked truly_ terrifying_. Her eyes screamed vengeance. She wouldn't stop until she got what she wanted. Claire had a pretty good feeling she knew what that was. And it scared the absolute shit out of her.

"You destroyed my life," Jade hissed, walking back over to Andrew, who had begun standing up again. "Now I'm gonna destroy yours."

She reached into her back pocket and pulled out the taser that Vanessa had given to her, tossing it up in the air and then catching it again.

"Get ready for the worst night of your life," she growled, pressing it against Andrew's neck. The man's body jerked as the electrical currents ran through his body. When he went limp, Jade slipped the device back into her pocket and stepped backwards, staggering slightly. She had to do this now. But she was too weak. She could feel her head spinning. She needed to suspend Andrew from the ceiling, but how was she going to do that with a damaged arm and severe blood loss? She heard Claire whimper behind her. Suddenly she had an idea.

She walked over to the cowering woman and held the taser out in front of her. Claire flinched away in fear.

"You're gonna help me tie Andrew up, you're gonna help me hang him from the ceiling, and you're not gonna try any funny business or this goes _straight_ in your mouth, got it?" Jade ordered. Claire's eyes widened and she nodded profusely. Jade wrapped her hand around the scissor handles and yanked them from the woman's leg. Claire hissed in pain.

"Good," Jade smiled. "Let's get to work then."

* * *

Tori shook her head in disbelief. This couldn't be happening. Vanessa had to be lying.

"Y-you're saying that Jade...that Jade _died_?" she gasped, tears filling her eyes. It had to be a joke. Surely it was a joke. "You're lying right?"

The blue-eyed girl shook her head. "I'm not lying," she spoke softly. "I saw it happen Tori. She was dead. And then next thing I know, she's alive again." She ran a hand through her brown locks. "I don't know what brought her back, but I've never seen her look so determined in all the time I've known her. She was almost passing out in the_ car_, for crying out loud, but she refused to let me take her back to the hospital."

"So what?" Tori shouted. "You should've taken her back. She's not strong enough to be out doing things. It could fucking kill her! How stupid can you get?!"

"She wanted i Tori," Vanessa shouted back. "All she wanted was you. She just kept saying over and over, "I need my Tori, I need my Tori." How could I say no to that? How could I deny her the right to see her wife? Huh?" She grabbed hold of the steering wheel and squeezed it until her knuckles turned white. "She scared the absolute fuck out of me Tori. I was so worried about her. Honestly I wanted nothing more that for her to stay in that hospital bed and recover. But she knew where you were. She actually_ knew_. I don't know how, but she did. And she was terrified. I couldn't let her suffer like that. I couldn't let her spend her entire time in that hospital worrying herself sick about you when she should've been recovering. The only way that she could recover is if she had you there beside her. She wasn't gonna stop til we found you. And I'm just so glad we didn't turn around, because who knows what could've happened to you if we did."

Tori looked away, hiding her tears. Why had Jade tried to kill herself? It didn't make any sense. She'd seemed fine earlier today. A little annoyed, maybe, but hardly what one would call suicidal. What had happened in that small space of time to make Jade do something like that? Why would she want to take her own life? _Why, why, why_?

"Tori?" Vanessa whispered, touching her shoulder. Tori just shook her head.

"I just can't believe...I mean, why would she...I just..."

She closed her eyes and leaned into Vanessa's shoulder, holding onto the bottom of her shirt. Tears fell down her cheeks and she sobbed loudly. Her body shook. The blue-eyed girl put her arms around her and gently stroked her hair.

"Shhh Tori, it's okay," Vanessa soothed, rubbing her free hand up and down the girl's back. "It's okay. She's gonna be alright. Jade's gonna be alright."

She stared out the window at the abandoned West household.

At least, she hoped she would be.

* * *

Once Andrew had been firmly secured and tied to the railing on the ceiling, Jade turned to Claire.

"See, that wasn't so hard now was it?" she asked, crossing her arms. Claire shook her head. Jade laughed sharply. "No, I guess it wouldn't be, since you've done it so many times before." She shot a brief glance at the cuts on the right side of the woman's face.

"Who did that to you?" she questioned, nodding towards said cuts. Claire scowled.

"Your wife," she growled, unconsciously touching the marks. Jade smirked.

"Good," she purred. "You fucking deserve it." She pulled the taser from her pocket once more and shoved it against the side of Claire's neck. She watched as the woman fell to the floor unconscious. She stood over her.

"You deserved that too."

She heard a soft groan behind her and saw Andrew beginning to stir. Perfect.

"Hello father," she spoke coldly, walking over to the table in the corner. "Nice to see you're awake." She picked up a hunting knife from the table and examined it for a moment, before walking back over to the man suspended from the ceiling.

"What the hell are you doing?" he mumbled, blinking his eyes.

"Getting payback," Jade answered, twirling the knife in her hand. "You see, my life has been a living _hell_ ever since you destroyed it. Even when you were behind bars, I still suffered. I still have nightmares about that night. You remember the one, where you stripped me of my innocence, threatened the lives of everyone around me, beat me senseless..._Remember_? Yeah, it almost killed me. I almost lost _everything_. But you know what? It's okay. I can take that. I can handle whatever shit you throw at me. It's only me. As long as it's not the ones I love then it's fine." Her eyes narrowed. "You fucked up when you dragged Tori and Cat into it. They're too sweet and gentle to go after someone for revenge. But me..."

She undid the man's trousers and pulled them, along with his boxers, down his legs. She trailed the knife up along his thigh, stopping just below his crotch. She gave Andrew as menacing a smile as she could.

"I like to get even."

* * *

**Part 2 coming ASAP**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey guys, I'm back. I'm soooo sorry it took so long to update this one. Life got in the way, the flu happened, I started writing a new story (the first chapter of which has been posted), _AND_ fanfiction decided to not let me manage my stories (I seriously had this chapter ready last night but no, it wouldn't let me upload. Grr)...You know, stuff. Anyway, I've finally gotten the next chapter written for all of you, thank you for being so patient. Hopefully this one lives up to your expectations.**

**So in the previous chapter, Jade was about to deal out some damage to dear old Daddy. What kind of damage? I think most of you have guessed what it is, but for those who haven't, read on (if you have guessed, still read on anyway, you don't know what else may happen ;) ).**

**Also, could you all please do me a favour and check out Metatron85's current story 'Is Your Love Strong Enough?' I swear, it's always got me on the edge of my seat, I'm always left wondering what's going to happen next. Such an incredible story from an even more incredible guy (make sure you read 'Edge' first, since this one is the sequel :) )**

**And just a quick notice: As I mentioned just before, I do have another story being written at the same time as this one, and it would mean the absolute world to me if you guys could go and check it out. I won't go into too much detail here, because it's all explained in the story itself, but it deals with an issue that is very close to my heart, and I'd like to think that by writing about it, I can make a difference. So please, if you haven't already, head on over and read the first chapter of 'Sempiternal'. I'd really appreciate it.**

**And to everyone who has left reviews on ****_this _****story so far, thank you all so very much. I couldn't do what I'm doing without the support of you guys, so keep 'em coming :)**

**Here we go...**

* * *

"Do you think she's okay?" Tori asked, nervously tapping her foot. Vanessa stared out of the window as she considered.

"I don't know," she finally answered, turning to face the brunette. "I mean, physically, she's lost a lot of blood. She's lucky to even be _alive_, let alone up and moving." She looked back out of the window. "I think that's the least of our worries right now though." Tori frowned. She knew exactly what Vanessa was referring to.

"Do you...do you really think she'd kill them?" she asked hesitantly. Vanessa looked at her sideways.

"Do _you_?"

Tori looked away. She didn't know how to answer that. There were a lot of things Jade West would do. But _murder_? Was she really capable of doing such a thing? In her current mental state, there was just no telling-

"I don't know," Tori whispered, staring into her lap.

"Well her father and stepmother _did_ just kidnap her wife and murder her best friend," Vanessa stated dryly. Tori's head shot up. Vanessa shrugged. "I mean, if someone kidnapped Beck and murdered _my_ best friend-"

A bloodcurdling scream snapped the girls' attention towards the abandoned house. Tori shot a panicked look at the blue-eyed girl.

"What the fuck was _that_?" Vanessa gasped, looking back and forth between the house and Tori. Tori's eyes widened and she threw open the passenger side door.

"Tori, where are you going?" Vanessa demanded, as the half-latina jumped out of the car.

"To save my wife from herself."

* * *

Jade staggered backwards and hit the wall, dropping the knife in her hand. She'd had to saw back and forth quite a few times, but it had finally come off. Andrew would never be able to hurt another woman again. There was absolutely nothing there anymore; Jade had seen to that. Andrew had long since passed out. Kinda made sense; he _had_ just lost his manhood after all. Jade stared between the man's legs at the empty space, and then looked directly below him, where it had fallen. The only other time she'd seen that much blood were the times when she'd been trying to take her own life. With the amount of blood that was coming out of him right now, Andrew would be lucky if he even made it to tomorrow. Jade felt her stomach turn. As much as she despised the man, she didn't want him to die. Not yet. Death was too gentle a punishment for him. No. He had to _suffer_ for what he did to Tori and Cat. He had to pay. He had to feel the pain of all of the girls he had wronged. He had to-

Without even realising what she was doing, Jade picked up the knife again and walked over to Andrew's side. She cut his ropes, letting him fall to the floor. A soft grunt escaped his lips as he began to wake up. When he spotted Jade, he tried to crawl away.

"Not so fast," Jade said coldly, kneeling down. She held the knife in front of his face, expressionless.

"What do you _want_ with me?" Andrew cried; his voice began to break. Jade laughed harshly.

"What do I _want_ with you?" she yelled. "Are you fucking _serious_?" She pressed the knife against the man's throat. Andrew whimpered. "I want you to _pay_ for what you did to my wife. I want you to _pay_ for murdering my best friend. I want you to fucking _die_ but you know what? I'm not gonna let you. Because you're gonna spend the rest of your days locked up somewhere with people who are going to make your life a living _hell_. You'll be so fucking miserable in there that eventually you'll just kill yourself to make the pain go away. And when I find out about it, I'll fucking _laugh_. Because you'll have finally realised just how much _I_ wanted to die because of _you_. You'll finally get it. And if you don't, well..." She pulled the knife away and lowered it towards Andrew's crotch. "At least I got what I wanted."

"You're sick," Andrew spat; his gaze flickered towards where Jade held the knife. "You're fucking _sick_!"

Jade threw back her head and laughed. "_I'm_ the sick one? I'm sorry, _who_ was the one who raped and beat his daughter, and several other young girls? Not to mention kidnapping several times, and murder, _twice_?" She shook her head. "I cut off your dick and you call _me_ sick? Wake the fuck up Andrew.I'm just the punisher. _You're_ the sick one here."

Jade took a few steps back and lifted her foot. "Go to hell Andrew," she growled, stamping down hard. The sound of breaking bone echoed throughout the room and Andrew howled in pain.

"Andrew!" Claire screamed, finally waking up from her taser-induced knockout. Jade spun around.

"You stay the fuck away," she roared, storming towards the blonde woman. Claire backed herself up into a corner and held her hands out in front of her defensively.

"Please don't hurt me," she begged; tears began to fall down her face. "P-please don't-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Jade screamed, punching the woman in the face. "You ruined my _life_!" Another punch. "You destroyed _everything_! " Claire's face was beginning to swell. "I fucking _hate_ you!" Now Claire was on her back, with Jade on top, fists raised. She punched her even harder this time, and then harder, and even harder still. "Do you know how much it _hurts_ having my wife make love to me, when all I feel are those scars aching everytime she touches me, and I have to pretend that I'm _okay_?" She drove her fist into the woman's face once again. "You have no fucking _idea_ how much it hurts! You destroyed _everything_, Claire. _Everything_. You, him, and that fucking little _rat_ who thought he could call himself my brother. I'm _glad_ he died. I'll be glad when _you two_ die as well. I fucking hate you. I hate you so much!"

Jade's fists continued to pummel the woman's face, until all she could see was red. Her own red-hot anger, Claire's thick red blood, Cat's velvet-cupcake-red hair...

"Jade, stop!" Tori shouted, running down the stairs. Jade froze with one fist raised above Claire's face. She looked at the brunette. Her fist shook.

"Jade, please," Tori whispered, taking a step forward. "Please stop." Jade shook her head.

"I can't. She has to suffer."

"Jade, you're gonna kill her."

"I don't care," Jade said a little uncertainly. "She...they...they hurt you. They killed Cat." Tori took another step forward.

"Stay back!" Jade shouted. Her fist was still raised. "Just stay away from me."

"Jade-"

"No!" Jade screamed, slamming her fist onto the floor beside Claire's head. "I don't want you to see me like this." She hung her head and released an unconscious Claire, and then stood up. "I don't want you to see me becoming my father..."

"Jade..." Tori breathed.

"Look at me," the raven-haired woman whispered, holding her bloodied hands out in front of her. "I'm a monster. I'm just as bad as them." She began to cry. "You probably hate me."

Tori walked over to Jade and took her face in her hands. "Jade West, you listen to me," she growled. "You are _not_ a bad person. I do _not_ hate you. I will _never_ hate you. I'll only ever _love_ you, got it?"

Jade opened her mouth to speak, closed it, opened it again, and then closed it once more. Tori continued.

"I made a promise to you Jade, to love you forever. Don't you remember?"

Jade nodded. Of course she remembered. It had been the best day of her life. Tori gave her a small smile.

"I, Victoria Kate Vega, promise to stand by your side for all of time," she began, motioning for Jade to speak with her. "I promise to hold your hand through all of the good times-"

"And carry you through the bad ones," Jade muttered, looking down. Tori slid a hand under the woman's chin and tipped her face up. She locked eyes with her.

"If it's even possible for me to love you more," she whispered, "then I swear to you I will. I'll be the light that guides you home, the sunshine on your rainy days. I'll love you forever-"

"Because that's what you do when you find the one," Jade choked, fighting back tears. It was her favourite part. Tori nodded and continued.

"Jadelyn West, you have been through _hell_, but that's one of the reasons why I love you so much. You're the strongest woman I know. You've been to hell and back. You almost _died_. You almost lost all sense of who you were but you got through it. You stayed strong. You came back to me. And no matter what happens, I promise to _never_ let anyone take that strength away from you." Tears started falling down both women's faces. "Jade, I love you more than words could ever say. And I am _so_ glad I'll now be able to call you my wife. For me to say that I love anyone else the way that I love you would be a lie. You are my truth Jade." Tori kissed the raven-haired woman lightly on the lips and smiled. "And I will never stop believing in you."

Jade let her hands fall to her sides as she sank to her knees.

"Tori," she sobbed, "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry..." Tori knelt down in front of Jade and wrapped her arms around her.

"It's okay baby, it's okay," she whispered, stroking the woman's dark hair. Jade buried her face deeper into Tori's shoulder, and snaked her arms around the half-latina's neck.

"I just wanted it to stop," Jade cried. Her whole body shook, and Tori tightened her arms around her crying wife.

"It's okay Jade," she promised, pressing her lips to dark hair. "It's over now. It's all over."

* * *

**Shout-out to PowerPlayer2010. I still managed to find a way to slip Tori's vows in :D Yay!**


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